Bullet to the Heart
by femphoenix
Summary: Red Beauty: "I'm sorry I never got the chance to tell you," Ruby whispered, her head bowed as the flood gates finally opened. What happens when Belle cannot remember a thing? Especially her best friend? (Now officially "M" rated)
1. Chapter 1

**_A/N Hey there everyone. I've been wanting to pull together a Red Beauty, but haven't been able to come up with an idea. After tonight's episode though, one arose. __SPOILERS: although it's only a small one, this takes off at the ending of the Outsider._**

**_Yes, I'm still working on Under the Veil.  
_**

**Story Note: We're going to pretend that the one intruder didn't come flying through Storybrooke, taking out Hook (poor guy...not really). In the case of this story, Rumpel ends up throwing a fireball at Hook and therefore killing him. Sorry to all the pirate fans, but it gets him out of the way.**

"Everything is going to be okay, Belle," Rumpelstiltskin murmurs to her as he lays her gently into the passenger seat. A dark pool of blood has taken over the front of her torso as she clutches onto her chest, confused and in pain.

"Who is Belle?" she manages to say between jagged breaths.

Gold looks over at the burnt body of Hook's lying in the dirt and hopes to dear God, if there is such a thing, that he stays dead. What he has done was unforgiveable, irreversible, and by far the worst thing that has ever happened to him, even when it comes to losing Balefire. Slamming the door, he whips the car around and presses the pedal all the way down, heading to the hospital as fast as he can. He's lost Belle for good now, whether it is through her dying or having no memory of him whatsoever.

"W-what's going on?" she whimpers, tears now cascading dreadfully down her beautiful pale face. She can barely hold on the world through the agonizing ache.

"There's no time for questions, my love," he whispers to her trying his best to keep composure, but failing with his last words.

His picks the brunette up, bridal style, holding her close and attempts to walks without his cane, an effort that is causes even more discomfort to the situation. Couldn't he just use magic to heal her? It could be that simple if his mind was in a better state, but that has slipped his mind as he stumbles into the emergency room.

"I need medical attention!" he calls out when several heads turn.

Multiple nurses along with Doctor Whale come running from all ends to meet him. One nurse takes her from him and secures her in a bed.

"What happened?"

"S-she's been shot?"

"Shot? By who?" Doctor Whale asks as his face pales in fear.

"Does it matter?" Rumpel yells, "Just help her!"

His arms flies from his sides and he barely catches himself with help from the counter as unfamiliar tears stinging his eyes, his breath in quick pants.

_First you take away my wife and now her?_

* * *

The door to the room opened and in came a pair of wary feet. He looked up to meet the eyes of the young brunette girl, eyes filled with worry looking over at the sleeping girl.

"Ruby…"

"I came as soon as I heard. What happened?"

That's when he told her all that had happened. Doctor Whale was able to get everything under control. Gold had taken ahold of himself the best he could when he heard the good news. The bullet hit only her shoulder, which was taken out with precision. She had lost a lot of blood, but in time she would be okay with rest and care. Of course though, there was always bad news. On impact of the bullet, Belle was pushed across the town line, therefore wiping every memory of who she was.

The only thing she could remember was being locked up in a cell for twenty-eight years. Unlike Sneezy, who had crossed the line first and was made to believe he was a pharmacist, she didn't have a clue at all about this world; being locked up for all of her life had provided her with no knowledge of a life outside of cement walls. Rumpel's heart leaped when she recalled who he was, but only by the name "Gold". This was because when she was let out of her solitary confinement, she was told to find the man. Gold stayed with her the entire time she was in the hospital, never leaving her side. At least she remembered him partially, which gave him a hint of hope.

"Wait," Ruby put up a hand, "You're telling me she has basically no identity even in Storybrooke?"He nodded morbidly, "but where who was she before the curse broke?"

"Locked away for the world to forget by that evil woman_._"

Ruby didn't have to ask who he was referring to. The only woman that deserved that title was the queen herself. It astonished her though to find out where Belle had been all of the time during the curse and why she had never seen her before until that moment in the diner. It broke her heart to know that she could remember none of that.

"Why are you here?"

The question took the wolf-girl by surprise and she stared at him in astonishment.

"I'm her closest friend, Gold."

"_Was, _dearie_"_

She sighed and looked over to her friend sleeping peacefully with her left shoulder bandaged up.

"Gold, why don't you go home and rest? I'll stay with her."

"I am _not_ leaving her especially with—"

"I'm the last person you have to worry about. Just go home—" she watched him rise with his cane with a heated look, "Please? I know I'm not a friend to you, but I am to Belle and you know she wouldn't want you moping around over her."

"If anything happens to her, dearie, I can assure you—"

"—she'll be fine, I promise."

Ruby took Rumpel's old seat beside the bed when he finally left. She bit her lip as she took hold of Belle's hand, holding back the sea of tears that begged to spill. It was one thing to hear that Belle was shot; this by itself was enough to have Red racing out of the diner to the hospital.

_As long as she is okay, _Ruby thought as she ran at full force, _God please let her be okay._ She hadn't even had the chance to share her true feelings with Belle. Feelings that sprouted the first day she saw that beautiful woman slurping down three glasses of iced tea.

_"I haven't seen you here before."_

_ "Well, I, uh…I've been a kept woman until recently."_

Those words were all she needed for her to spring into action and not to mention the woman's amazingly unique accent. She had never seen such a beautiful smile; so innocent and so much unlike herself. She could see the hurt in her eyes, as well as she hid it, and felt that needed to protect her. Not only that, but introduce her to the fine things this world had to offer; however, she didn't get a chance to show her the one thing that ate away at Ruby's heart.

She had been unaware of the other half of the story, Belle's memory loss, until she was face to face with Gold. She stroked the pale hand with her thumb repeatedly, thinking of something to say, but everything sounded pathetically stupid.

"I'm sorry I never got the chance to tell you," she whispered, her head bowed as the flood gates finally opened. She felt the hand underneath hers twitch and she looked up, face filled with tears, into Belle's beautiful blue eyes. "Belle…" she breathed and felt her heart shatter as the hand pulled away.

"Everyone keeps calling me that," her face contorted with confusion. Ruby was glad to see that her accent was still intact.

"You don't remember me do you?"

She shook her head, not taking her eyes off her. The only chance they had was starting over and Ruby reached out her hand.

"My name is Ruby or Red, whichever you prefer." Belle blankly stared at the extended hand, "Oh, uh…it's called a handshake. Here, give me your hand." The wolf girl reached out towards the frightened girl and gave her a reassuring smile; that amazing full teeth smile that Ruby knew how to do so well. Finally, Belle placed her hand on the other woman's. "There ya' go and you just go like this," she shook her hand and then sadly let it go. "It's how people introduce themselves."

Belle took in a breath of air as pain erupted in her shoulder while she sat up to get a better look at her new acquaintance. All Ruby wanted to do was lean over and put a reassuring hand to her cheek, but she refrained.

"It's nice to meet you then, Ruby"


	2. Chapter 2

**_Sorry for the wait, folks. I was having a hard time figuring out what to write and I've been excessively focusing on my _****Under the Veil ****_story. The story is a bit slow, but I promise it will get there._**

As much as Gold wished to be at Belle's bedside twenty-four-seven it began to freak the poor girl out. He'd attempt to get close to her, even tried to press a kiss to her cheek, but received a slap to the face instead. Just like everyone else in town, he was no more than a stranger with a name. Not to mention the utter creepiness of have a man double your age pressing his crusty lips against your skin.

On one occasion, Gold was so sure that true love's kiss would play a role in reviving her memory, but the effort was futile. Just as he pressed his lips to the sleeping woman, her eyes popped open and she let out a scream, managing to invite every nurse in ear range into the room. Her eyes were wide in horror as a nurse made great effort to calm her down.

"Mister Gold," the nurse said, "I believe it is time for you to go."

She watched the old, heartbroken man limp out of the room, failing to notice the other brunette woman who was walking by him, a bag in her hand. Belle's breathing began to slow as she took notice of the wolf-girl sheepishly standing in the doorway, unsure of whether to come in or not.

"Oh, I'm sorry, miss," the nurse spoke as she turned around to meet her, "but I think visitations for today are over for Miss French."

Ruby's face dropped with sadness and she nodded.

"Wait," both the nurse and Ruby looked at Belle who had spoken, "no she can stay."

"Are you sure? If you're not feeling well—"

"I'm fine, really," she glanced over at the wolf-girl who was faltering between a frown and a smile.

The nurse nodded and disappeared from the room while Ruby strode in and sat by the girl's bed.

"Hey," Belle grinned at her, though she wasn't so sure why she wanted her company.

"Hey," Ruby smiled shyly back, "I brought you something from the diner." She held up a paper bag along with a Styrofoam cup.

Ruby, compared to Gold, was calmer and less confrontational in her visitations knowing that any wrong move might cost her any chance she had of reviving their friendship. Whenever the wolf-girl would come around, all of Belle's loneliness would fade away when she came to visit. All she had known were walls of imprisonment for twenty-eight years; she really was afraid of the world she had no clue about, but looking at the smile on Ruby's face brought her some sort of feeling that she had a protector, even though she barely knew the girl. Belle looked at the object being held out in front of her and scrunched up her face.

"It's iced tea," Ruby told her softly, "I think you'll really like it." Belle took hold of the Styrofoam cup and looked at it warily. The waitress thought maybe it would be nice to start reintroducing her to the things of this world. Maybe it would help her memory, but that was highly unlikely. Finally, after a minute of staring at the drink, she took a slow sip of it. One sip. Two sips. Three…her eyes lit up and a big smile broke out across her face.

"Wow! This is…amazing!"

"Just wait," the wolf smirked as her hand disappeared inside of the paper bag. Belle eyed her curiously in anticipation of what was coming next. A pale hand pulled out a greasy paper wrapped thing. As it was unwrapped a pleasant smell hit her nose. "These things are awesome. It's a hamburger."

"It's smells delightful, but," she bit her lip, "the doctor has me eating only—"

"Oh screw what the doctor says," Red laughed and pushed the burger at the girl. "It won't hurt you. I promise."

"Well okay," Belle replied and took it from her, sniffing it, "but if I get in trouble…"

"I'll say I forced it down your throat."

Both of their giggles filled the air, warming their hearts in a way they didn't think possible. Belle bit into the burger and let out a sound of contentment.

"You're going to make me have a heart attack if you keep introducing me to all of these wonderful things!"

"You have no idea what you've missed."

After a few moments, Belle's smile faltered at a thought. She let out an involuntarily sigh that accompanied her thoughts and looked over to find Ruby looking at her peculiarly. Red had taken notice of the sudden change in the atmosphere.

"Are you alright?" she asked Belle.

"I…yea, I'm fine. Don't worry," she gave her new friend a soft smile, but it was easy to see through that.

Ruby pushed herself up from her chair and carefully edged closer to Belle, not wanting to invade her space. Seeing that there was no sudden reaction, she sat down on the edge of the bed and placed her hand on top of Belle's, but not before taking the half eaten burger and setting it aside.

"You can tell me," she whispered gently. Belle felt the natural urge to pull back from contact, but she remained still. She wanted to trust someone more than anything and as she gazed into Ruby's green eyes she felt safe. Safer than any walls could make her feel.

"Everything is so confusing," she admitted while she shifted her eyes down, "for twenty-eight years, all I've known is solitude. The only person I was partially acquainted to was some ward-nurse that brought me food each and every day." She squeezed her eyes shut and felt the wolf-girl squeeze her hand.

"I can't imagine how hard that must have been. Having nothing, but your own company…locked away in silence."

Ruby knew only slightly how it felt to be locked up. Granny would lock her up inside of her room, demand that she wear the red cloak and not come out till she said so. What a life that was, but she always found ways to sneak out. Belle on the other hand, had absolutely no way out.

"The doctor said I hit my head really hard, giving me a concussion, and consequentially forgetting the most recent parts of my life. It's so hard to believe I had a life because I can't remember a thing."

Both of their eyes met again. Ruby thought back to their first encounter again along with several others. How she was the one who introduced her to the library in Storybrooke, which was once again shut down without anyone to run it. What was she to tell her? That they used to be really close? What would that do? To makes things even worse, Belle had no idea about magic and that her new friend was a werewolf. That was a huge obstacle standing in the way. Clearly, if those little things were revealed at the wrong moment, she'd go crazy and end right back up in the ward again. Ruby only gave her a reassuring look.

"So…if I _did _have a life that I can't remember, what was it like?"

"You were the librarian."

Belle let out a heartfelt laugh, "Me? A librarian?"

"Ha, yea. You were crazy about books."

"You're kidding! That's…so odd."

Ruby squeezed her friend's hand once again. "Hey, don't worry. I'll help you get back into things, alright?" She gazed into Belle's deep brown eyes which seemed to sparkle every time she laughed. "I promise." She glanced over at the clock on the wall. _Shit, already?_ She thought. When she stood, Belle gave her a look. "I wish I could stay longer, but I have to head back to the diner."

"Oh, okay." Ruby leaned over and gave Belle a hug, which was a first since the accident. It was a sad feeling as she pulled away from the warming embrace. Just as the waitress began to turn away after saying goodbye, she felt a hand reach out and touch hers. "Ruby?"

"Yea?"

"Will you come back tomorrow?"

Her cheeks pulled up and a huge, full teethed smile spread across the wolf's face. "Of course!"


	3. Chapter 3

**_Ah! I'm so sorry for this slow update once again. I knew it wasn't a good idea to start another story while working on my Swan Queen. However, I think I've finally found an idea for this story, so I do hope that my slow updating hasn't pushed anyone away. The story is slow, I know, but I do promise it will pick up eventually. You can only go so fast with a girl who has lost all memories of who she is. _**

**_Thank you to everyone who has been commenting. I truly appreciate it and hope that you keep them coming. Enjoy~_**

Ruby made sure to visit Belle every day during her break making sure to always bring something she knew the librarian would like. She was happy to see that Belle still had the same taste as before, like the iced tea. After another week, Doctor Whale said she was free to go as long as she had someone to take care of her. Gold unfortunately had been there at the time and insisted that he be her caretaker, but Belle would have none of it.

"I don't know this man," she told the doctor, "and I'm not quite sure if I want to."

The image of him leaning over her, trying to kiss her, was still burned into her mind. She shuddered at the memory as she held her gaze strictly from the man. As if by chance, Ruby came running to her rescue and made an argument that she'd give her a place to stay.

"But she has a place," Gold argued, "The apartment above to library."

"Gold, does she look like she is able to be on her own?"

Their bitter battle was held outside of Belle's room; she was still able to pick up a few of their words. Gold's desperation was evident as he fought against the wolf. The sound of Ruby's voice, laced with a deep growl, brought warmth into the woman's heart. She didn't understand why Red wanted to protect her so much; if only she knew that a wolf never leaves her pack.

A few minutes later she heard the door open and she closed her eyes, pretending to be asleep.

"Belle?" called out a soft voice and she opened her eyes to gaze upon Ruby's beautiful face. She couldn't help, but smile.

"Hi," she whispered.

"Hey, how are you feeling?"

"Content, I suppose, but I'm so tired of lying here in this bed."

She saw the wolf grin at her before speaking, "Well then I have some good news for you. They're letting you go, but only on one condition."

"What is that?" Belle asked and took in an odd look of worry on Ruby's face.

"As you've heard, the doctor doesn't deem it safe for you to be alone in your condition…"

Now that look on the wolf's face was starting to concern Belle. What had happened exactly during her and Gold's conversation? There was no way she was going to go home with that man. Ruby's hand reached out and took hold of Belle's. This had become a normal, friendly gesture between them both.

"Belle, I know that we've only just met, but the doctor won't let you go home by yourself. At least for a while. Only if it's okay with you, you can stay with me and Granny. I'm sure you'll love Granny…and…well only if it's okay with you. I wouldn't want to force you—"

She was rambling. The worry in her face was that of fear; fear that Belle would say no because she didn't trust her.

"I'd love to," Belle told her softly with the cutest accent ever.

The other girl looked at her in awe, "You…really?"

"Really," the librarian smiled.

* * *

Ruby couldn't contain her happiness when Belle agreed to come and stay with her. Doctor Whale was weary at first, but he saw that Belle was perfectly fine in the wolf's company.

Granny set up a room right beside Ruby's. It wasn't a room to rave about since it was a bit small with a full sized bed; however, it didn't take a lot to satisfy the librarian.

"It's perfect," Belle told Ruby as they stood in the middle of the room. She turned and faced the wolf before embracing her with loving arms and whispered into Red's hair, "Thank you so much."

"Anything for you," she whispered back and held the girl close to her. The sweet, warming smell of the librarian was intoxicating as she nuzzled her nose into the chestnut locks. Words couldn't describe how great it felt to have the girl so close to her. The warmth...it was so comforting for both women. Without thinking, Ruby laid a kiss on top of the shorter girl's head and was met with Belle looking up at her smiling.

Ruby yearned for the warmth of the other woman when they broke apart, but there was nothing she could do about it. She gave her a corny grin before asking her if she needed anything.

"Nope," she replied shaking her head, "but please do give my gratitude to Granny for letting me stay here. You both have such a warm heart."

Ruby left Belle to her own company, allowing the girl to settle in. She didn't want to smother her. When she got into her room she plopped down onto her bed and smiled up at the ceiling. She could barely comprehend all that was happening. It all occurred so fast, Belle losing her memory, but now she could assure herself that things would get better in time. Hell, things were already looking well.

She had already asked Granny for the day off tomorrow in order to show Belle around town. It was like day one again when they first met, but this time it would be even more different. She had to protect her from becoming frightened, especially because magic was unknown to her.

_Just take it slow, Red, _she told herself.

* * *

"Ow!" Belle gasped and slammed the steaming cup of coffee onto the counter, the black liquid swishing back and forth threateningly. Ruby's cheeks pulled up as she smirked at the girl and chuckled.

"I _told _you to be careful," she laughed.

"Yes, but you didn't tell me it was going to be so hot!"

"I did so!" argued the wolf.

"Did not," Belle replied and pushed the girl playfully on the arm.

"Okay so maybe I didn't, but I did tell you to take a _sip _not a big ass gulp."

Belle rolled her eyes with a cute smile before taking a small sip of the coffee once again.

"It's a bit…bitter," she commented while staring down into the liquid and observing her distorted reflection. She heard a few cabinets open along with the fridge and then looked up to see Ruby with her hands full.

"Here," she said, taking the cup from the girl's grasp and poured a bit of creamer along with sugar into it. After giving it back, Belle took another sip and made a sound of approval which made Ruby's heart leap when hearing it.

_God, she's so adorable! _Ruby thought.

"Mmm, Much better," Belle remarked.

Sitting down at the table, she watched the wolf-girl go at her business around the cozy kitchen. Red pulled out a loaf of bread and sat out an odd silver box with a cord. She tilted her head as Ruby slid two pieces of bread inside of it and press down a button.

"What's that?" she inquired as she stood up meeting soft green eyes from across the room.

"It's a toaster. It heats your bread."

"Oh?"

Belle was now beside her and was looking down into the silver box, the inside glowing red.

"Don't get too close," Red warned.

"Why?" she leaned down closer.

"Because it's hot and—"

The two pieces of bread went flying into Belle's face; she jumped back letting out a loud scream of surprise. She put a hand to her heart and attempted to catch her breath. By this time Ruby was practically on the floor rolling with laughter.

"And…" Ruby tried to say between giggles, "and…_that _might happen." With the help of the counter, she pulled herself back up and glanced over at her friend who was giving her a scornful glare. "What?"

"You laughed at me," Belle pouted while crossing her arms.

"But it was funny!" the wolf-girl teased with a grin, "you should have seen the look on your face."

Belle continued to glare at her friend which turned into an intense staring game. Finally she caved and let out a joyous laugh, tossing back her head, which filled the room with so much life. Ruby took the two pieces of bread and spread raspberry jelly over them both before handing one over to the latter.

"After this, go get dressed," she told Belle.

The librarian raised a curious eyebrow as she bit down into the bread, "Why?"

"I'm giving you a tour of the town."


	4. Chapter 4

**_I must apologize for this super long wait. I won't drag on with excuses on why and let you skip right to the story. I do hope you enjoy!_**

Ruby had spent half of the afternoon showing Belle around town introducing her to all the stores, restaurants, and even the library. When the wolf first came across the closed building she was weary to venture inside. Ever since Belle had lost her memory the library had been shut down once again since no one else seemed to have a passion for books like Belle had. She had a spare key to get inside; the librarian had given her one midway in their friendship for times she wanted to stop by when the place was closed or just for precautions.

As the door slid open, the smell of old books overtook her senses and she breathed it in deeply. The scent was one that she had grown to adore since it accompanied the librarian wherever she went. She looked over to Belle in hopes of seeing her face light up, but it only remained neutral.

"Books?" the former librarian asked in an unimpressed manner.

"Yea, this is the library. You—" she cut herself off as she forgot Belle wasn't the same person as before. It was obvious that she did not share the same passion as she once did.

"You told me I was the librarian here, right?" the shorter girl asked as she took a few steps towards a bookshelf and ran her fingers down their spines. Dust had accumulated over them from weeks of vacancy giving the entire place such a dark and gloomy aura to it. "It's such a strange thought. I had a few back in the ward, but I read them so many times that they grew dull. I never saw an appeal to them; they were just a device to pass the time I guess."

The wolf held back a sigh and glanced around the room, her eyes falling to the area where she had chained Belle up that one night. She never had meant to threaten their friendship by doing such a thing; she honestly was only looking out for Belle and didn't want her to get hurt. That was the last thing she ever wanted. She had already hurt the one person she loved before, or actually _killed_ them. As the old emotions began to rise, she pushed them away and adopted a wide, cheery smile. Those emotions were to be saved for another day. Another time. "Let's get out of this place. Last thing I want to do is bore you to death."

The life of the library was gone; it was once again just another locked up, unoccupied building taking up space on a lonely corner. Maybe in time that would change. _Time, _Ruby thought, _time is all it takes._

The other girl trotted back over to her happily and thanked her as Ruby held open the door. After inquiring if her companion was hungry, they stopped by the diner. The door chimed as they walked in. Granny turned her head and waved at them both.

"Enjoying your day, girls?" she asked them while serving a man a plate at the bar.

"Very much so!" Belle commented joyously.

"Hey Granny, can I get a to-go order?" The older woman glowered at her granddaughter from across the bar. Anyone else would have bypassed it, but Ruby knew better. "I was just kidding!" she held up her hands in surrender, "I'll get it myself."

After telling Belle to hang tight, she retreated to the kitchen only to return moments later with a brown paper bag in one hand and a tray with two cups in the other. The librarian took the drinks from the other's hand and went to say something until Granny spoke up.

"Where are you running off to?"

Red glanced over at Belle for a moment with a warm look in eyes before setting them on her grandmother. "I want to show Belle something."

The older woman cocked a knowing grin. She knew of the place her granddaughter was referring to; to look in her eyes said it all. It was a place she escaped to whenever she could to get away from the hectic life of Storybrooke. As small and simple the town was, everyone needed their little safe haven to retreat to. It was unknown if Granny was aware of her granddaughter's feelings towards her companion. If anything, all she knew was that the women were best friends and that Ruby cherished her with every last beating of her heart. If that wasn't enough to say something…

They waved and said their goodbyes as they departed from the diner.

* * *

"This place is gorgeous!" Belle exclaimed. She had never seen anything quite like it before in all of her life.

It was quite a simple place actually, but those are the kinds that warm the heart. After a few minutes of hiking on a trail in the woods, the luscious, green trees opened up to display a beautiful serene lake. The water was clear as day and one could see the colorful fish swimming through it and the water rippling as a dragonfly touched down. It was just far enough out of reach of town that it was calm and quiet.

Ruby wasn't sure if anyone else knew about this place. If they did she never ran into them. She found it one night when she was taking a run through the woods in wolf form. Fortunately for her she remembered the night's trip and the next day she took a walk to make sure it wasn't something she dreamed up.

_Gorgeous just like you,_ is what she really wanted to say, but instead she replied with, "It really is. I thought you might like it."

"Like it? Ruby, I love it!"

The wolf chuckled to herself as she sat down onto the soft, green grass and motioned for her friend to follow. Belle graciously joined her from across and inquired her about the contents of the bag.

"What is it you're introducing me to today?"

"I think you'll really love this one," Red replied as she dipped her hand inside of the bag and pulled out two sandwiches and a pair of peaches. She slowly unwrapped the sandwich revealing deliciously toasted honey-wheat bread. "It's a tuna melt."

"Tuna…melt?" Belle asked softly as she took it from the girl's hand and examined in curiously. Ruby couldn't help, but smile at how cute she looked which her eyebrows scrunched together.

"Yep. Just some pieces of toast, tuna and a piece of cheese. Put it in the toaster and voila! A masterpiece."

"A delicious masterpiece!" Belle cried out after taking a bite, the crumbs falling carelessly all over her dress.

Both women sat quietly eating their lunch, sometimes commenting on a bird flying over or the way the water was rippling with the soft breeze. There was no awkwardness in the silence between. They were two friends who needed nothing more than the company of one another.

"So you really don't remember anything?" Ruby asked her friend, "No favorite pastimes? No favorite childhood memories?"

The latter shook her head, her curls bouncy along, "I…no…I don't. I'm sorry. It's all just a fuzzy picture of nothing…" Her face grew sad as she looked off into the distance.

"Hey," Ruby placed a hand overtop of her, "It's okay. I told you before and I'll say it again. I'll help you get through this."

Belle looked back at her, her blue eyes shining brightly, "I know you will," she entwined her fingers with Ruby's, "I cannot begin to thank you enough for everything that you've done for me."

"Just you being here with me is enough."

Belle blushed before taking a sip of her iced tea as the wolf reached for the soft peach and bit into it.

"How can you eat that?" Belle inquired in dismay.

"What? It's really good you should try it."

"But it's…so…_fuzzy._"Ruby grinned widely in amusement, "why are you looking at me like that?"

"Because you're...Just try it!"

"I don't wanna."

"Please?"

"No."

"Fine."

She stuck her tongue out before taking another bite, but too carelessly as a small streak of juice trailed down her chin. Not really noticing and staring off into the water, she went to swallow, but almost choked when a soft hand stroked her chin. She watched in disbelief as Belle slowly wiped her chin off with her thumb.

Stunned to silence, the wolf attempted to keep composure as she managed to swallow down the bite. She has been trying so hard not to get too touchy-feeling towards her friend in fear of scaring her away, but now it was Belle who was getting close. Green eyes met blue. It was hard to tell what was swimming within the azure ocean as the hand pulled away and rested back on her own lap.

"Tell me about yours," Belle said quietly.

"What?"

"You're childhood. Tell me about it," Belle rearranged herself and scooted up closer as if she were a kid getting ready for story-time

"You really want to know?"

"I want to know everything about you."

Ruby's face reddened at her words and she looked down. It was too soon to tell her _everything_. She finally chose that she would tell her what really happened during her childhood, but keep out the fantastical parts. For now at least.

"I don't have any memory of my parents," she started, "It was Granny who raised me since I was little. She told me that my parents both grew ill before I was old enough to remember." She left out the part about her running into her mother with the pack since it first of all was such a short occurrence and secondly since it ended so…depressingly. "My life was pretty sheltered as a kid though. Granny was always paranoid about wild animals running about and me getting hurt."

"Wild animals?" Belle chuckled, "In Storybrooke?"

"No, no. I grew up somewhere far from here. It was a really small place, smaller than this town actually, and it was dominated by the forest. It was really beautiful."

"I bet it was."

"But anyways," Ruby began again, "I had a strict curfew and if I did go outside I was made sure I didn't wander off. She really was far too protective. Don't get me wrong, I love Granny to death, but she never let me have a real life. It probably was the reason I started sneaking out when I was a teenager.

"Alone? Or did you meet up with someone?"

The wolf grew silent for a moment remembering all of those nights sneaking out with Peter. "His…his name was Peter." Her words came out slow and sad, not wanting to tread those waters.

By this time, Belle has scooted up so close that her knees were pressing against Ruby's. Their eyes met once more and the librarian knew there was more to the story, but didn't ask on. She respected whatever reasons there were for Red not wanting to speak about it. Ruby gave her an apologetic smile and soon found the latter's hand intertwined with hers again.

They spent the next few moments in silence staring at each other. Ruby could feel the warmth of her companion's hands in her own as her heart skipped a beat. If only she could lean over and plant a kiss right onto those beautiful lips. As if on cue, Belle took her bottom lip between her teeth.

_God, _Ruby whined inside, _I love it when she does that._

"You're looking at me like that again," Belle whispered. Without even realizing it, Ruby's face had broken out into a wide smile at her thought. "You never answered my question earlier."

"Hm?"

"Why _are_ you looking at me like that?" Ruby diverted her gaze once more as her cheeks grew warm. "Come on. You can tell me."

"You're really cute."

Belle's face now turned a few shades pinker and she replied, "And so you think it's funny?"

"Well…"

"But it's okay… I like it when you smile."

Ruby's eyes lit up and looked at her again, "You do?"

"I love when you smile. I love when you laugh at my foolishness. I love when you laugh period. It brings out the most beautiful smile I have ever seen."

Ruby could feel her heartbeat pounding against her chest. Those were the sweetest words she had ever heard and they were especially extraordinary coming from Belle. She leaned forward so close that she could feel Belle's breath on her cheeks. She could hear the librarian's heartbeat racing. It grew louder and faster as their lips inched closer and closer. They were so close now that Ruby could smell the sweet scent of the latter's breath. Just as their lips were about to meet, Ruby became aware of what was happening and pulled away, quickly standing up and leaving Belle looking dumbfounded.

"How about I finish showing you around town and then we head home?" she tried not to stutter awkwardly as Belle nodded and stood to her feet.


	5. Chapter 5

**_Hey guys! Guess what? Another chapter for you! I love you all so much. Thanks for reviews...and for all of you silent readers out there, don't be shy. I still adore you though. I hope you like this chapter. The idea came to me a few weeks ago and I finally pieced together just how I would get it done. I hope you like it! _**

**_ps: don't kill me if there are some mistakes I didn't catch. I forced myself to finish the chapter by tonight and have read through the story a few times, but we all know what happens at 3 o'clock in the morning._**

A week had passed since the scene at the lake. Belle was slowly falling back into her life in Storybrooke, or at least some sort of life. She had reopened the library, but only because it gave her something to do. She didn't feel that passion towards the leather bounded pieces of parchment that stood idle on the shelves. From an outsider's point of view it would be hard to imagine Belle being engrossed in a simple book now.

She, however, did take some pleasure in cleaning the place back up. She took her time as she wiped down every dusty nook and cranny, all the cobwebs, and even swept the place. That was one thing she knew how to do. In her confinement she always kept the few items she had in perfectly straight alignment and made sure nothing was out of place. It was quite silly to think about, but that was how her mind worked. It gave her something to do during those twenty-eight long, lonely years.

After shaking a rug out, she swept up the dirt into the dust pan. Her mind drifted off into its own world. In her minds eye she could see Ruby only inches away from her; she could smell that peculiar scent that seemed to follow the waitress. It was a cozy kind of scent; she smelt of forest pines, of the earth. Something that oddly made her think of an animal, but she couldn't quite place it. She secretly adored the smell and wanted so much more, but that wouldn't be possible. Ruby was her companion. Her best friend.

She made her way up a set of stairs remembering that Ruby mentioned there was an apartment connected to the library. Belle's apartment. She slid the door open and found the place to be in the same condition as it had been before the incident with Gold, but of course she didn't know this. She walked over to a small couch and folded a blanket that was hanging off of the side and fixed the few books and papers that were spread out across the coffee table.

_I live here?_

It was an odd thought. Overall the rest of the apartment was in fairly good condition. She must have kept things pretty perfect even before the accident. She was too caught up in her own thoughts to hear the soft sound of footsteps behind her. She nearly screamed at the top of her lungs at the sound of a very familiar, soothing voice.

"Thinking about moving back in?"

"Jesus Christ, Ruby!" she yelled as she put her hand up to her chest, "you scared me half to death!"

The waitress chuckled, "Sorry. Wasn't trying to," she shrugged with a silly grin and held up a bag, "I brought lunch."

They chose the couch to sit at as Ruby whipped out some sandwiches. Ruby kicked her feet up, her knees bent and her back pressed against the arm of the couch. To anyone, including Belle, it would look like a nonchalant act of making herself comfortable, but it was not. Ruby was trying to keep her distance from her companion without making it too noticeable.

Belle didn't seem to notice. She asked her about her day at the diner. Ruby had got back into her usual routine as well. As lovely as having a few days off was she knew Granny's patience was growing thin taking on the extra work. After what happened last week she was glad to be working again. It gave her some space from Belle which she really needed if she were going to keep her sanity.

"You never answered my question," Ruby said in a more serious tone.

"Hmm?" Belle replied as she sat down her tea and turned to look at the woman beside her. There was something peculiar in the brunette's green eyes. When she spoke it was weighed down with an immense sadness.

"Are you thinking of coming back here?"

Belle studied her friend quietly for a moment. She didn't need to think of her answer to the question, but what made her uneasy was the tone of the waitress. It was hard to admit, but during the last few days they seemed to be a little more distant than usual. In a quick glance, blame could easily be put on their jobs, yet they knew there was more to it than that. Ruby came everyday during her break with lunch and still there was a dark gap between them that didn't use to be there.

"No," Belle finally replied and shook her head, "I'm not ready yet. If…if that's okay?"

Ruby caught the awkwardness from Belle, the librarian feeling as if she were overstaying her welcome.

"Of course it's okay! Granny said you can stay as long as you want. You know Granny loves you more than you can imagine," _as do I, _"No one is pushing you to do anything. It's all up to you."

"As long as I'm not—"

"—Belle, it's okay," she gave her a reassuring smile before glancing at her phone, "Well I gotta get back to the diner. See you later."

* * *

Normally Belle and Ruby ate dinner together, but when the librarian stopped by the diner after work Granny had told her that Ruby went home early. Deciding she would fend for herself and make something back at the house, she did so, but found the silence of the night lonesome. After washing up the few dishes she had used, she climbed up the stairs towards her bedroom. She stopped in her tracks when she came to Ruby's door. The door, which was normally cracked in some fashion, was shut and the light from under the door was unseen.

_Maybe I should knock, _Belle said to herself, but found her hand drop aimlessly just as fast as she had raised it. _Perhaps it would be best not to disturb her. Granny did say she left early, so maybe she isn't feeling well. _

Without another thought she scurried into her room, changed into her nightclothes, and crawled into bed. She scrolled uselessly through her phone, the screen being the only source of light in the darkness, and sighed at the mostly-empty inbox. The only messages were ones from Ruby. Who else would text the girl who couldn't remember anything, the crazy girl from the asylum?

She set the phone on the nightstand and painfully attempted to close her eyes. The first few moments were black until specs of color began to appear, slowly changing into a scene that played like a film. It all seemed to be in slow motion. Her own hand rising to wipe Ruby's chin; it was such an instinctive reaction that she hadn't even noticed what she had done until the darker brunette was staring at her in shock. It wasn't that she regretted what she had done when she changed the subject; she just didn't want to make things awkward.

_"His name was Peter."_

_Who was he? _The librarian thought to herself, feeling a pang in her chest. _What ever happened to him?_ Belle assumed that Ruby must have loved him from the look that took over her face, but she knew there was more to that. Was it grief? Sadness? Something surely must have happened. Either way, Belle knew that whoever this boy was had an important place inside of Ruby's heart. A place that the librarian feared she could never be.

The librarian opened her eyes and found herself staring up at the ceiling. She was so confused beyond comprehension. She hadn't ever felt this way towards another person. A woman at that. She cared for Ruby more than she ever thought possible, but she knew that her feelings could never be requited. There would come the day, which would come sooner than wanted, that she would have to go back to her own place at the library and continue on her days there.

Of course they would still be friends. Why wouldn't they? Somehow she felt that things wouldn't be the same though. Fear rose up inside of her that they would grow even more distant. What was she to do? The only person in the world that she could turn to was her problem.

_She almost kissed me…or no…maybe I just imagined it. Maybe I was reading the signs all wrong._

She curled into a ball as a few tears spilled from her eyes. She wanted Ruby to kiss her so badly, yet something happened within those last few seconds which forced Red to regain her composure. Did Belle do something wrong?

They had yet to mention the incident; in all honesty she assumed it would never be brought up. The last thing she wanted was to push them apart further. It was such a morbid thought. They were right beside each other with only a wall to separate them, yet they felt miles apart.

Belle was so scared. Of this world. Of Ruby finding out. How was she to get through this world without Ruby? If she ever found out, Belle would surely lose her forever.

Her small cries had now turned into uncontainable sobs. She tried to tell herself that she was acting ridiculous. She was overreacting, but she couldn't stop herself. The loneliness she had felt for twenty-eight years was arising again and she wasn't sure she'd be able to take another second of it.

She reached out into the darkness and placed her hand on the cold wall, imagining, _just pretending_, that she was able to reach over and touch her companion. Feel her warmth against her skin.

* * *

On the other side of the wall Ruby lay in almost the same position as her friend. What Belle didn't know was that Granny always let Ruby off early during wolf's time which was now. Granny knew that Ruby became anxious and antsy during these three days and so she let her off early. She hadn't mentioned this to Belle; what would be her reasoning?

Forgetting about dinner, she had stumbled into her room and toppled over into her bed. She wasn't hungry. She didn't care even if she was. All she wanted was for her senses to die down and let her be. It was called a curse for a reason. During wolf's time she found that her emotions tripled, her senses heightened, and her self-control slipped. It had been a huge risk when she went to see Belle for lunch. She knew that if she hadn't of shown up it would have been noticed, so she played it cool and tried to keep herself under control.

_I can't believe I almost kissed her,_ Ruby told herself when she thought about a week ago. And that wasn't even the wolf! It was her own stupidity taking over. _Was I out of my mind? _That could have ruined everything she had tried to regain back. _But what if I already screwed up?_ She had already noticed the detachment between them since the lake.

She knew when Belle had come home. _Home…that's a crazy notion with the fact that she'll be gone soon._ She could hear her feet scampering throughout the kitchen, clanging pots and pans, and then her pitter-pattering up the stairs.

The scent of old books mixed with lavender overtook her senses. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head as she fought every urge to jump out of the bed and open the door. The more and more she fought the worse it became and she soon felt an overbearing headache emerge.

_Why Belle? Why did this have to happen?_

By this point, she had her knees pulled up to her chest as she lay on her side. Belle wasn't right outside of her door now, yet she could smell her so easily. If she tried hard enough she could probably even hear the soft sobs coming from Belle's lips, but she was too focused on her own discomfort.

The wolf called out to her. Begged to be set free, but she denied it as she gripped onto the red fabric wrapped around her. She reached out and pressed her palm to the wall. If only she knew right on the other side Belle was doing the same.

If she let it take her over then she would do the unthinkable. She'd walk into the room next door and press her lips firm against the librarian's. Press her nose deep into her alluring scent. Run her teeth across her skin and –

Ruby could smell her. Her scent was growing again.

_But she can't know. She can't know how I feel about her and she sure as hell can't ever find out about what I am. Not now. She's just now beginning to get a hang of this world._

She looked out her window, the radiance of the full moon pouring in. Her nostrils flared. The scent was becoming unbearable. She slid the red hood down, glowing yellow overtaking her green eyes, as she let out a low growl.

* * *

Belle braced herself for the moment. She had just finished wiping away her tear-stained face and now her heart was beginning to beat rapidly.

_If she's sleeping then I'll just leave. It can't hurt…_

She took her bottom lip between her teeth before releasing and letting out a silent sigh. Her hand softly fell onto the door handle. Her hand shook. The handle turned…slowly. The door opened even more slowly.

"Ruby?" she whispered softly into the moonlit darkness. There was no reply.

_I told you she'd be asleep, _she pestered herself as she went to turn, but stopped when a cool, gently breeze brushed passed her. She looked over towards Ruby's bed to find it was vacant, a red cape draped off the side. Her eyes furrowed and she looked to her right to find the source of the draft. The window was wide open as the curtains blew gently, allowing the cold air to seep into the room.

She looked around the room once more to make sure that Ruby wasn't there._ Had she ever been in her room at all_ _tonight?_ She sighed once more and walked over to the window to close it, but not before she stuck out her head and gazed up at the luminous full moon.

Off in the distant she heard the long howl of a lonesome wolf crying out to its one companion. A chill ran through her and she shut the window.


	6. Chapter 6

**_A/N hey there! remember me? The girl who hasn't update her story in eons? I feel quite terrible, believe me. I hope this chapter compensates for that. I know everyone is dying for them to just kiss already. I promise it's coming soon. Don't give up on me yet. Thanks for all of you who have taken the time to leave a review. _**

**_If you have any scene that maybe you'd like to see then feel free to leave a suggestion. I have an idea of what the next chapter might be, but I'm always open to suggestions. If anything I'll try to incorporate them into the next few chapters. So remember...don't be shy! I won't bite...hard._**

There was something off. It wasn't just a feeling. There was something off about the air; yes, as odd as it may sound the air felt…how would one describe it?

Heavy.

Thick.

Like there was a barrier between the two women that had never been there before, but they had already acknowledged this. The tension suffocated the poor she-wolf to utter madness. She had tried so hard not to mess up, but all of her efforts proved to be in vain.

The wolf had begged to escape and clearly did just in time. If Belle would have entered into the room a second before, Ruby would have lost all control. Red had heard the rapid heartbeat of the other woman through the door. She heard the turning of the handle. The sound of a heart racing in syncopation with her own. In a rapid motion, the brunette had thrown off her red cape, lifted her window and gazed up into the luminous goddess of the night. Without the act of thought her eyes became yellow. Her soft, pale flesh turned into fur and her ears turned into a point. Just as the door opened the wolf leaped out of the window and into the night.

Ruby had entered in her room early the next morning to find a body curled up on the center of her bed. Her brow furrowed with deep concern along with alarm as she edged closer to the figure. The sleeping librarian's chest fell up and down peacefully; her curls fell over her face in a fashion that made Ruby want to reach out and tuck it behind her ear.

Belle had her hands and feet pulled up into herself in a ball making her look more innocent than ever. If that was even possible. But why was she here? In _her_ room?

She slowly reached down, placing her hand upon the sleeping woman's shoulder, and shook her gently with a whisper.

"Belle?"

The librarian murmured careless, sleep-laced words for a few moments until her eyes fluttered open. It took her a second for her eyes to adjust and recognize her friend peering down at her with a shy smile. Belle's eyes shifted around the room until she came to realization that she wasn't in her own.

Her face fell in fear that Ruby might be upset with her and she quickly pushed herself up. With sleep's hands still clinging onto her limbs she stumbled forward, falling towards the floor. She let out a small cry as hands embraced her quickly and securely.

"Belle?" Ruby whispered a bit higher as her concern for her friend grew, "are you okay?"

Belle pulled away, but not enough to break contact as she bashfully looked into Red's face. The wolf's eyes darted across her features looking for any answer she could find within her features. The taller woman's hands still remained on the other's shoulders as they both stood idle.

"I'm terribly sorry; I-I must have fallen asleep when I…when I came in to check on you."

"You came in last night?" Ruby asked even though she already knew the answer. What she really meant to ask was _why?_

"I…was worried about you. You weren't there when I went to the diner and Granny said that you went home and—" she was cut off by her own betrayal of sobs.

They were so sudden and unexpected that it took Ruby by surprise. She reacted on natural instinct and pulled the girl close against her.

"Shhh," the waitress whispered softly and ran a soothing hand down her back, "I'm okay."

But that wasn't enough. The librarian's cries only grew louder, her tears soaking through the plaid shirt.

Belle wasn't even sure why she was crying. Perhaps it was the impact of last night and waking up to Ruby's beautiful face that caused such a contradiction within her heart. She clenched onto the other's shirt in fear that Ruby would disappear.

"I'm sorry; I…I don't…know why I'm crying," she said through her sobs.

Ruby tightened the embrace before walking over to her bed. That is where they parted and sank down onto the mattress side by side. The waitress turned to face the other and took her hands.

"It's okay," she said in a soothing voice as she took one hand and wiped her wet cheeks, "I'm okay; you're okay."

Belle nodded, but her head remained down staring down at the other woman's hand upon hers. It was warm. A few moments of silenced passed until the librarian looked up. Ruby was staring out the window, the warm sun rising slowly casting an orange glow into the room.

The librarian reached out and ran a hand through Ruby's dark chestnut hair which caused the latter to snap her head in curiosity.

"Sorry," Belle whispered shyly, "You have _grass_ in your hair."

"Oh…"

Ruby chewed on the inside of her cheek and resumed her attention towards the window watching as the sun rose higher and higher into the sky.

"Where did you go last night?"

The waitress closed her eyes for a moment and let out a long breath. She couldn't do this now. Why couldn't things be easy again? Why did Gold have to bring Belle into such a situation that damned her to this hell of forgetfulness? It hurt beyond words

Behind the darkness of her eyelids she saw the bright moon gleaming down upon her. The chill of the wind was brushing against her dark fur as her paws carried her for miles upon miles through the dark forest. The sound of the night echoed through the trees; the sounds of crickets. An owl hooting in the distance. Once she was far enough from the town she found perched on top of a rock that sat on the edge of a cliff and howled to the moon.

That was the place she wanted to be now.

That was the place she always escaped once every full moon.

She felt a weight upon her shoulder and looked over to find the librarian's head. After wrapping an arm around the girl, she ran a hand through her curls, smiling at the soft breath that escaped Belle's lips.

_Friends, _Red thought, _Just friends._

She thought for a moment that the librarian had fallen asleep again until the latter moved, her nose lightly touching her neck. Warm breath fell upon her skin and she sighed once again, letting out the growing tension within her.

The moon may be waning now, but her senses were still on high alert.

"You smell like…_dirt._"

Ruby could imagine the wrinkling of Belle's nose through her words. She let out a soft chuckle. Belle wasn't going to let this drop.

"I went for a walk last night," Ruby halfway lied. She could tell Belle half the truth at least, "Sometimes I have this urge just to get out of the house. The walls feel like their locking me in like a cage. It feels like there is this beast inside of me that's suffocating; I set it free on nights like last those."

She paused and waited to hear what the other woman had to say. Belle lifted her head to get a good look at Ruby. She knew how that felt. To be caged up; in her case there was no escape.

What if she had come in before Red had gone? What would have happened?

"So you just stayed out there all night? Alone?"

The innocent woman's heart began to race at the thought of Ruby being alone in the woods. She remembered the night before of the chilling howl of a wolf.

"It's not so bad," Red smiled at her, "Falling asleep under the stars with only the grass as your pillow."

Of course the wolf found it much more comfortable than when she awoke as human. She never failed to wake up with some sort of pain in the neck, legs, or arms. Just about anything you could name she had awoken with.

"Maybe I could come with you one night?"

Ruby's green eyes lit up at the notion.

"Sure," she squeezed the hand that she was still holding, their fingers having intertwined at one point, "I'd love that." She let go of Belle's hand s and rose up to her feet. "I'm going to go take a shower before work. I'll make breakfast when I get out."

* * *

When Ruby opened the door the bathroom, a towel draped around her, a rush of bacon hit her nostrils making them flare. She quickly changed into a black shirt and jeans before heading downstairs. When she entered the kitchen her eyes widened in amusement.

"Belle!" she called out trying to contain her laughter, but was unable to, "What happened?"

Flour seemed to have taken over the entirety of the kitchen counter. Belle turned around from the stove in which a pan sat with sizzling bacon. A bashful blush crept across her cheeks and she offered her companion a smile.

"I thought I'd make breakfast for a change," she turned her attention back to the bacon and flipped a few pieces, "but then uh…well I kinda spilled the flour when trying to make pancakes."

"_Kinda?_" Ruby laughed again as she walked closer to examine the mess. She shook her head. White dust covered not only the counter, but the walls and somehow the ceiling. "Did you make a flour bomb? My God!"

"I'll clean it up I swear!" the librarian held up her hands before pointing over to a plate filled with pancakes, "but I did manage to make a few."

"You better or else Granny is going to kill me. I'll help you after we eat."

* * *

The morning had started off quite well for the rough night each of them had. It was nice to be able to sit down together at the table and enjoy a surprisingly wonderful breakfast. Ruby watched from the corner of her eyes as Belle ate her meal happily.

What Ruby didn't know was how well Belle was containing her other emotions deep down beneath the mask of happiness.

"So did I pass?" the librarian inquired about breakfast. She caught a wet rag that was thrown her way and began to wipe the mess off the counters.

"I suppose," Ruby taunted with a grin on her face. Belle placed a hand on her hip.

"And what's _that_ supposed to mean?"

"Oh nothing."

She was being honest; it wasn't meant to mean a thing at all. She just loved Belle's defensive reaction when she teased her.

Ruby began to twirl the towel in her hands, an evil smirk crossing her face as her friend continued to wipe down the counters obliviously. The wolf edged a few inches closer, her hand ready to snap the towel.

But then Belle turned around. Her blue eyes widened when it dawned on her what Ruby was about to do.

"Oh, no you don't," she warned.

"You gonna stop me?"

The wolf-girl's teeth were now bared in a predatory smile as she held the towel in place.

"I'm warning you."

Ruby's back hand released the towel, a loud snapping sounding as it whipped the air. Belle quickly dodged it and managed to grab a handful of flour she missed and tossed it at the wolf-girl.

A puff of white dust flew into Ruby's face and she let out a cough, her hand waving in the air to clear the remnants of the attack. She glanced down at her once black shirt and then back up to her companion.

_Uh, oh._

Belle gulped as she watched Ruby's eyes narrow, the wolf-girl edging closer to her. The librarian went to run, but the latter was faster. She pinned the shorter girl between the cabinets and smirked deviously, her hands on either side of the librarian.

"You should have known better that you couldn't stop me," Ruby growled as her playful wolf emerged.

"Well I _did_ stop you," replied Belle as her hands at her side began to slowly grip her dress. Such close, intimate contact was going to her head or in better words…southward.

She bit her lip as Ruby pressed against her and whispered into her ear, "Yea? Well look where your little scheme got you. The innocent rabbit caught right in the trap of the wolf's."

"Oh?" Belle raised an eyebrow, "so this was your plan the entire time?"

"Maybe…"

The waitress's eyes migrated down and landed upon the other's pink lips. She could hear her heart racing within her chest, her chest rising and falling with anticipation.

Silence grew around them.

_I can't, _Ruby whispered to her wolf. This was only the side effects of the moon. She couldn't let it control her.

Ruby's breath caught in her throat when a pair of hands gripped her hips. She could feel the hands shaking and she glanced down to confirm her thought. When she looked back up Belle had her bottom lip between her teeth again.

The wolf-girl took a step away severing the contact between the two. A nervous laugh erupted from her chest when she spoke.

"I should go change my shirt. Granny would have a cow if I walked in like this."

Belle nodded, her sadness concealed behind a weak smile.

_Fuck, fuck, fuck, _Ruby said over and over again inside of her head as she walked up the stairs, _You can't do this, Red. You have to control yourself._


	7. Chapter 7

**_A/N Yikes! It's been what a month? I wasn't even expecting to have this chapter out now. Sometimes I really hate college. Thankfully I only have a few more classes left and then I'll be out for the summer! _**

**_Many thanks to all over you lovely readers and reviewers! You guys are the you all for being patient with me._**

**_Please tell me what you thought of this chapter; I personally really liked writing it. :)_**

A few people had been in and out of the library throughout the day. Henry had even stopped by looking for a book for school. He brought a smile to her face as he looked through all the books with such enthusiasm. His grin had fallen when a not-so-happy mayor came strolling in and demanded why he was taking so long. Belle couldn't quite grasp why a woman with such a sweet, intellectual kid could be so cruel and cold-hearted.

Just as the life of the library died down the bell of the door chimed and in came the sound of feet along with an additional tap of a cane. She was just finishing up organizing a few books when the pawnbroker limped up to her, an unusual, soft smile on his face.

"Mr. Gold, right?" she asked as she placed the last book on the shelf. Even though she didn't feel quite comfortable around the man, she held her composure and remained respectful. She learned through a conversation with Ruby that he owned much of the places around town and was quite powerful. He most always got was he wanted.

"That's right, dearie," his voice was kinder than it usually would be towards other people. He stopped a few feet away from the librarian and leaned on his cane taking a moment to look around the place.

"What can I do for you?"

His eyes wandered back over to hers, something along the lines of hope glimmering in his eyes.

"I just wanted to see how you were getting along."

"Oh," she placed a kind smile on her face and ridded the invisible wrinkles of her dress away, "How kind of you. I'm doing very well. Thank you."

"Good, that's wonderful to hear." On the outside he was content yet beyond that hard composure was a fidgety, unsure man yearning for the love he lost. "Can I ask you something, Belle?"

"Sure, I don't see why not."

"Would you mind getting dinner with me this evening?"

The question made her stumble for words. It was the last thing she expected to hear. Her brow furrowed as she bit her lip. The silence throughout the aisles of books gave a sign to elaborate.

"Nothing special; just a burger or whatever you want. I would like to catch up on things."

"I…" she didn't want to seem rude or mean; that just wasn't in her nature, "I apologize, Mr. Gold, but I'm rather busy."

She didn't know this man; at least she didn't anymore. She wasn't even sure whether she wanted to get to know him or not. She grimaced at remembering the events in the hospital and wondered just how exactly they knew one another before the accident.

_If only I could remember!_

"I see," he replied softly and shifted his weight. His eyes fell down to the floor as he muttered an almost silence goodbye. She watched him limp his way towards the exit, studying the man who everyone seemed to fear.

"Mr. Gold, wait!" came the sound of the younger woman as she ran forward to meet him at the door. He turned halfway and looked at her quizzically. "I don't suppose dinner would hurt."

His eyes lit up and he smiled. "Fantastic. We can head to the diner now if you like?"

"Just one moment. Let me grab my coat and close up."

* * *

Ruby hadn't stopped by for lunch that evening; she had sent Belle a text saying that they were really busy and therefore she only had a short lunch break. It sucked but that was the life of a waitress. Granny understood the friendship between the two women, but wasn't about to let that take away her best waitress.

Glancing up at the dial reading six o'clock, she picked up the dishes around the diner before skipping to the back to grab her jacket.

_I cannot wait to get home, _she said to herself in a chipper manner. She was exhausted, yet that didn't mean she wasn't happy. Since the diner had been slammed it meant that she didn't have time to dwell heavily on her personal feelings. What did this mean? She hadn't thought of Belle…_much_.

As she stepped around the bar she heard the door open and her eyes lit up when she fell upon her librarian friend.

_Just in time!_

"Belle!" she let out and was just about to bolt to give her a hug when Gold stepped through the door behind her. It could have just been coincidence that the two were arriving at the diner at the same time until she saw them both head for the same booth. Her heart dropped faster and harder than she could have even began to describe.

"Hey Rubes," Belle waved as she saw the wolf-girl approach, "You still on shift?"

"No I was just," she looked over to the pawnbroker who had picked up a menu, paying no mind to her, "I was just getting ready to leave."

"Awe darn," Belle frowned, "Well I guess I'll see you later then?"

"Yea," the waitress fidgety awkwardly as she tried to keep her face as neutral as possible, "I…yea."

"You okay, dearie?" Gold asked as he set down his menu.

"Y-yea. Long day, I guess. I'm going to go take a walk."

Before Belle even got her next words out Ruby was gone, a gust of cold wind blew in as the diner door opened and then closed. Just as quickly, Granny appeared by the table to take their order. The look on her face did not go unnoticed by Gold, but he chose not to pay any mind. Yes, Belle had lost her memory of him, but that wasn't stopping him from starting all over again.

"Did you catch where Ruby ran off to?" she asked them after setting their burgers down on the table.

"I believe the wolf went to get some fresh air," Gold replied before biting down into his food.

Granny shot him a look from hell; if looks could kill then he would be a goner. Alas, Gold only twitched his lip in a sly smirk.

"Wolf?" Belle asked confused.

"You don't know? It's—"

"—It's the nickname we gave her because of that attitude she is known for," the older woman cut the man off with haste. _Is this man really trying to get my granddaughter into trouble? Not on my watch!_ "Enjoy your food."

The two ate in silence for a few minutes until Gold decided to speak up and ask her about her living arrangements.

"So I've heard you've been living at the Inn."

"Mhm, it's really quite lovely. I almost don't want to go back to my apartment."

"Is that so, dearie?" he placed his hands together and sat his chin upon them.

In the far off parts of the diner Granny made herself look busy, but kept her ears on high alert which wasn't hard since she was part wolf. Her gut told her that the irksome pawnbroker was up to no good and she had a feeling that if his plan succeeded then not only would Belle get hurt, but Ruby would just as well.

She understood her granddaughter's feelings towards the librarian; she had picked up on it the day the wolf swept into the booth to greet her. Her eyes lit up and glowed like the full moon whenever Belle came around. That picturesque smile only became wider. Granny knew that look from a mile away; Ruby didn't have to speak a word. Her little wolf was in love.

It made her heart leap for joy when she realized that Red had finally moved away from her heartbreaking past. As dark as it may have been, she had found a way to be happy and finally forgive herself. Granny had no quarrel with Belle whatsoever; on the contrary she couldn't of asked for a better friend for her granddaughter.

It broke her heart beyond imaginable when Ruby informed her about what had happened to Belle: her memory being wiped. That first night Ruby had come home crying her eyes out. The darkest devastation had taken over the poor girl and she wasn't sure whether she could have come out of it or not. Without hesitation the older woman had been at her side holding her tightly and whispering that everything would be alright. The only thing she could wait for was time; time will fix everything. Red had no idea that Granny always knew; that was probably for the best at the time to not make things awkward.

And just as she told Ruby, time did have a way of putting things back in place. Ruby and Belle had become friends once again. It wasn't that it was harder to do. It was just the fact of having to go through it once more and try not to slip up on things such as magic and the curse.

_And now that indecent man wants to ruin my granddaughter's happiness? _She glared at him from across the room. Belle was laughing at some insignificant tale Gold was telling. She made her way over to their table and swiped up their empty plates.

"We'll be closing up in ten," she deadpanned towards the man, not the girl who had absolutely no idea what she was getting herself into.

* * *

"Be careful, Belle," Granny said to her as they walked towards the back.

"What do you mean?" the brunette looked over with genuine confusion.

"Gold; that man is a snake," she nearly sneered.

"Oh…"

"Don't take this the wrong way. I'm just watching out for you. That man truly means no good as far as I'm concerned."

"But he…" her words fell away as they reached the stairs leading up to her bedroom. Belle stopped and turned towards the older woman and after a second she wrapped her arms around her tightly before whispering, "I understand. Thank you for your concern, Granny. It really does mean a lot."

"As I said, I'm just watching out for you. You and Ruby both," she gave her a smile, "Now off you go; go get some rest."

The librarian ascended the stairs and called over her shoulder softly, "Goodnight."

* * *

After Belle changed into a soft yellow nightgown her feet led her over towards Ruby's room. Her knuckles rapped against the wood gently, waiting for the other to reply.

"Hey," Belle smiled when the door slowly opened.

"Hi," replied the wolf-girl in a soft, yet shaky voice. She turned her face away from the light so that the shadows over took it and concealed her red-rimmed eyes from view.

"I didn't wake you, did I?"

"No."

"Oh, good. Can I…can I come in?"

Red stepped to the side to allow the other to come in. The room was dark save for the light of the waning gibbous shining in through the window. Over in the corner the bed was messed up; either Ruby had been lying down or hadn't made the bed in the first place.

"How was your date with Gold?" Ruby's words were almost cold with little interest as she sluggishly moved to sit on her bed.

"Date? It wasn't a date. He just…he just offered to take me out for dinner and talk."

"Yea, as I said. _Date._"

Belle's face scrunched up as she took in the peculiar attitude of her friend. She wasn't used to seeing this side of Ruby. To the librarian it seemed bitter and stagnant, but really it was just the wolf trying to conceal her hurtful heart

"Are you okay?"

"Me?" Ruby looked up for a moment and then back down at her hands, "Yea, I'm fine."

"No you're not."

Without even looking up, the soft taps of Belle's footsteps could be heard as she inched closer towards the bed. Once she reached her destination she quietly sat down beside the other woman and turned to look at her. She reached out for her hand, but the wolf retracted quickly.

"You can tell me; I'll listen."

"I can't."

Her words were muffled by the dark veil of her brunette hair that draped over her face. Belle sat quietly for a moment in order to think of what she had done wrong.

"Ruby?"

No reply.

She reached out her hand to tuck the brunette locks behind the waitress's ear, but the latter turned her head.

"Please, don't."

The wolf's words were sad this time; not cold. Belle refused to give up and once again reached out toward her friend all the while leaning closer.

"Belle, please!" as Ruby raised her voice it cracked and suddenly the librarian knew that she was crying. By this time Ruby had backed herself all the way into the corner of her wall on the bed with no where else to go. She tried to hold back a sob that was arising in her throat, but failed miserably.

_Quit Red, _she screamed at herself, _not now. God, not now!_

She hadn't even noticed that warm arms were now wrapped around her tightly, Belle's head leaning on her shoulder. Without saying a word, or questioning anything further, they both sat there. By the time they finally moved it was only to change positions. This time they were both lying down on the mattress curled up against one another, arms wrapped tightly and fearing to even think of letting go.

Belle had so many questions. So many feelings. But she couldn't ask or ponder them now. She let it all fade into the night as she buried her face into the hollow of the wolf's neck and breathed in deeply. The soft thudding of her heartbeat sounded in her ear and she could tell from the rising of the other's chest that Ruby had fallen asleep.

Taking the chance she lifted her head only slightly and planted a soft kissing upon her sleeping companions chin before pulling up the covers around them. Finally things were beginning to come together. Now she was starting to understand why Ruby had gotten so upset. Not even just before, but even back in the hospital when she fought for Belle against Gold.

She truly didn't think of it being a date when she agreed to go to dinner with Gold. The only thing she was really doing was trying to understand her life better. Her foolishness though had hurt Ruby in the end.

Ruby had been trying so hard to regain a friendship she thought she had lost only to find out that Gold was scheming to pull her away. The wolf couldn't take that. She had chosen Belle and once a wolf finds their mate they never leave. They will fight to the very end.


	8. Chapter 8

_**A/N I would have had this posted an hour sooner, but freakin Tumblr got in the way. What in God's name had happened to my life? Anyways, here's the next chapter that I'm pretty sure you'll all love! It's not as long as the recent chapters, but I figured I'd give you what I got rather than making you wait.  
**_

_**Reviews are like a box of chocolate; I never know what I'm going to get, so surprise me!**_

Ruby knew for a fact that she hadn't acquired a pet in the recent days, so why was there something warm sleeping on her chest? Her sleepy eyes finally cleared and she realized that her arms were wrapped around the librarian. She instantly froze.

_Why? How did…?_

Without even thinking she began to run her hands through the light brown curls. She could feel Belle's warm breath hitting her neck as she tucked a strand of hair behind the sleeping girl's ear and watched her. She looked so serene and calm. Maybe even fragile.

Her mind wandered to last night as the scene began to replay slowly. She saw herself flinching away from Belle as if she were a hunter. The last thing she wanted was to be around Belle – actually on the contrary that is all she ever wanted, but her feelings were getting harder to control – yet when Belle wrapped her arms around the wolf her emotions calmed. She had given in to what was happening and cherished it more than ever. All she needed was the simple touch. That was more than she could have ever asked for at the moment.

Now here she was, her arms wrapped around the girl she thought she'd never get to see again. Not _truly _see since the accident, but slowly she was digging through the barrier of Belle's blocked memory and slowly discovering that the girl she once knew was still there. Perhaps this was what was needed. Ruby would have never realized how deep and true her emotions were if it hadn't of been for what happened.

The waitress was unaware that she had been running her hand through Belle's hair the entire time and jumped when blue eyes met hers. Her hand retracted swiftly, but the librarian caught it and brought it back around her.

"It's okay," Belle whispered softly while resting her head back onto the other's chest, "I don't mind and you're really warm."

A smile spread across the wolf's face as she lay there silently simply enjoying the moment. She caught the sound of Belle murmuring something inter her shirt, but was unable to decode it.

"What was that?"

"Is it Saturday yet? I don't wanna get up."

Ruby laughed and replied, "I _wish_ it was Saturday. Sadly it's…_Friday."_

Belle looked up at her friend and raised an eyebrow, wondering if something was wrong since she paused for a moment. She watched as Ruby looked over at the clock before being she was pushed up, off of her chest, nearly falling onto the floor.

"Ruby?"

"Shit! Today was my early shift. I was supposed to be in an hour ago!"

Belle watched in humor, sitting on the edge of the bed, as the waitress stumbled around her room looking for something to wear. Granny never was a happy camper when people came in late especially when it was her own granddaughter; you would think she would be more understanding!

"Rubes, chill out."

"Chill out? Belle, Granny is going to be pissed. Fridays are always super busy in the morning."

She groaned as she pulled off her shirt right in front of Belle without even a second thought along with her jeans. Belle tried to rip her gaze away but couldn't quite comply. Her eyes were glued to the woman's pale back that was quickly blocked out by a red material._ She's always wearing red._ Ruby looked over to Belle, who ripped her eyes away instantly and found her hands suddenly interesting.

"I'll uh," Ruby said, "I'll stop by the library later. Yea?"

"Sure!" Belle replied a bit faster and happier than she wanted it to come out.

The waitress waved before bolting out of the room quicker than lightning, leaving the poor librarian dumbfounded.

_What just happened?_

Quite opposite to the diner, the library had been dead all day. One could have sworn they saw a tumbleweed roll by a few times. In order to keep herself occupied, Belle decided to go through some books. She still couldn't wrap her head around the fact that according to Ruby she could hardly get a book out of her hands before.

She huffed as she tried to deem which book was the one she would sit down and read. Choosing to close her eyes, she held out her pointer finger and spun around until she landed on one book in particular. _Grimms' Fairy Tales. _ Shrugging, she picked up the leather bound book and made her way over to her desk.

Within a matter of minutes she found herself immersed in the curious tales. She read through several of them such as "Rapunzel" and "Rumpelstiltskin". There was one in particular, however, that she felt drawn to. Just as she was about to start another story the bell chimed and in walked Ruby with a bag in her hands along with a drink tray.

She greeted the waitress with a high pitched "hello", and shot up from her seat quickly, "Ruby, I have to read you this!"

"Wha—" Ruby stopped herself midsentence when she saw the book in the librarian's hands and joy in her blue eyes. The wolf's lit up at the realization that Belle was actually enjoying reading. _She's coming back, _she thought to herself and had to contain a howl of delight. "Sure thing, Belle. You want to take this upstairs?" she held up the bag.

Both women settled down onto the couch and ate their lunch. Belle made a fast attempt to eat through her meal fast so that she could read the tale to her friend. Such an attempt caused a huge uproar of laughter as the librarian almost choked after taking too big of a bite.

"Jeez, Belle, it's alright. I'm not going anywhere. We still have," she looked over at the clock, "twenty minutes." She took a sip of her soda before kicking her feet up onto the couch, "So what are you reading to me?"

"Little Red Riding Hood," the librarian responded as she took the waitress's legs and set them across hers in a nonchalant manner.

Red felt her throat become dry as she let out an awkward laugh, "Oh, uh, great!"

Too excited that she was getting to read aloud, she missed the big blaring sign of awkwardness seeping off of the wolf-girl as she opened up the book to the page. And so she began.

"_Once upon a time there was a dear little girl who was loved by everyone who looked at her…"_

She read on and on with such passion that it made Ruby smile. However, Red couldn't contain her laughter at the major inaccuracy of the story. It was so eerie to hear a tale about herself, even as incorrect as it may have been. She tried to block out the more gruesome memories of her past and paid attention to the librarian's voice.

"…_No one ever did anything to harm her again._"

The sound of the book closing brought Ruby back to the moment. Belle laid the book on the table and looked at the waitress. "Wasn't that fantastic?"

"Don't you think it's kind of silly how fairytales always end happy?"

"Well, I mean I know it's not very realistic, but isn't always nice to hope?"

"Yea, I suppose you're right, but I highly doubt that's the true story of Red Riding Hood."

"Duh, it's a _fairytale,_" Belle replied as she picked up one of the pillows on the couch and threw it at Red.

"Hey! Watch it!" the wolf playfully growled and gripped the plushy pillow.

"Watcha gonna do? _Bite_ me?"

"I do have some rather large teeth," she gave her, her award winning grin.

"The better to—" she squealed as the same pillow hit her face and suddenly she felt a weight on top of her. Flailing around like a madwoman, Ruby finally pinned down the girl's arms and straddled her.

"Want to find out?" the wolf-girl grinned mischievously, as she gazed down into wide, blue saucers. She didn't care anymore at this point; she was tired of holding back. Her wolf hearing picked up on the rapid beating of the other woman's heart underneath of her. Belle opened her mouth to speak, yet nothing came out.

Within a matter of seconds their lips collided in a kiss that should have happened eons ago. Belle's eyes fluttered shut as she wrapped her arms around the other's shoulders, pulling her closer. Neither woman was able to catch the rapid array of colors that shot out from them in the blink of an eye. In that moment something happened.

The librarian's eyes shot open as her fingers dug into Ruby's shoulders. The wolf misread the sign and pressed further on, but instantly pulled back when a hand began to push her away. Belle let out a huge gasp of air, her eyes wide as she stared at Red.

"Belle, I-I'm s-sorry."

"Ruby!"

The waitress's brow furrowed when the sound of laughter rather than disgust filled the woman's voice. This confused her more than ever. She went to slide off the woman, but Belle grabbed her by the face with two hands.

"Ruby, I remember!"

Red's green eyes widened and she nearly died from joy. This wasn't happening! Her breath was still rapid from the kiss as she tried to speak.

"R-really?"

"The iced tea, pancakes, the wolf. Everything!"

Before the wolf could even reply Belle seized her lips once more in a mind blowing, passionate kiss. Their lips moved in sync with one another as Ruby found the other's hand and entwined their fingers together. This had been the moment they had been waiting for; the moment both women had cried their eyes out and reached for in the night. Ruby took soft flesh between her teeth and was gifted with the sweetest moan she had ever heard, making her melt right there on the spot.

Finally after only God knows how long, they pulled away and stared into each other's eyes. Moving a strand of hair from out of the wolf's face, Belle leaned up and kissed her on the forehead.

"Ruby…" she whispered as the other laid her head down onto her chest that was rising and falling rapidly. They both laid there on the couch for awhile just taking in all that had happened.

Ruby knew that all she had to do was be patient and give it time – that things would work out how they were meant to work out. She pulled Belle's fingers towards her lips and placed a gently kiss upon them. What _did_ just happen?

_True love's kiss,_ both women thought at the same time.

"I love you," Ruby said softly and when she didn't get a reply she raised her head. Belle cheeks were stained with silent tears which were wiped away gently.

"I'm okay," the librarian replied when she saw the concerned face, "I just can't believe it. You...the kiss…Ruby, I love you too," Belle finally called out and brought Ruby's face to hers once again.


	9. Chapter 9

_**A/N Tis a bit of a short chapter, but that's all I got for this one at the moment. I can now officially deem this story rated "M". If you're not one for smut, then I apologize, but hey, aren't most of us on here pervs? Don't deny it! Ha, anyways, I do hope you enjoy this well waited for moment. **_

_**Don't forget to leave a lovely review :)**_

Their lips moved against one another in blazing heat. Bits of their clothes had already been discarded leaving Belle only in her underwear and Ruby in her Jeans and Bra. Everything happened so fast, but neither was turning back now. Belle had fallen in love with Ruby when she had lost her memory and realized she had _already_ been in love with her before; she just couldn't remember it. This was a moment both women had been waiting for, for what seems like centuries.

Gently hands ran through dark strands of the wolf-girl's hair as sweet kisses were being placed upon her neck. Letting out a soft moan, she wrapped her legs around the woman above her and pulled her closer if that was even possible. On cue, the waitress began pressing herself down into the librarian with the intentions of never stopping.

A hand slipped down between Belle's breasts and traveled further down taking the time to notice how soft the pale flesh was, and found their home against the soft material of silk-like cotton. Hips arched up upon contact, but the hand pulled away.

"Ruby," the librarian whined; such sounds laced with longing sounded so foreign yet so intoxicating that it made Ruby's insides turn to flames, "please, I've waited too long."

Upon hearing those words something within the darker brunette lit up like a roaring array of candles and took over her. Her lips latched onto a pert breast beneath her as a slightly nervous hand slipped under the cotton into the librarian's warmth. She had never touched another woman as she was doing, but with Belle it felt natural. It was as if it were second nature as her fingers began to thrust to and fro tenderly enough not to hurt her, but with enough passion that drove the woman under her crazy.

Belle's eyes closed as she clutched onto Ruby's shoulders, soft uncontrollable moans slipping from her lips as she basked in the sensation. No one else existed in this one moment. It was only Ruby and Belle and that was all that mattered. Time seemed to slow or possibly speed up. In all actuality it didn't matter. All that mattered was that they were together in this one special moment in time.

Disregarding the buzzing noise that sounded from the coffee table, a shaky hand slid down the wolf-girls abs and unbuttoned Red's jeans, easily sliding them down when hips were raised. Belle needed to feel every bit of skin as possible against her. Sneaking a hand between the thighs, the woman above gasped. It was a side that Ruby had never seen before. The usually innocent woman seemed more daring than usual. Perhaps it was the adrenaline rush of the moment or the fact that they had both discovered they had requited feelings. Either way it was irrelevant.

Ruby felt her eyes roll into the back of her head as slender fingers slid inside of her. In reaction, her own fingers sped up their ministrations, another finger being added with ease. Their sweaty bodies rubbed against one another, moans and gasps filling the air. Using her free hand, Ruby lifted the others chin towards her and pressed her lips to the others, her tongue slipping past lips and exploring newly found territory.

Belle's hands glided down her back and, after a few tries, unclipped the waitress's bra. Ruby leaned up to allow the fabric to me removed, but at the same time her fingers hit the sweet spot inside of the librarian. Consequentially, her back arched off the couch so suddenly that neither woman had time to catch themselves. In a sprawl of limbs, and a loud squeal, they went crashing to the ground. Grabbing her head from the abrupt impact of the floor, the librarian rubbed it lightly. Ruby bit her own lip and looked at the girl underneath her with worry, but was surprised when Belle let out a loud laugh. Arms wrapped around the waitress and pulled her down once more for another kiss.

Pulling back, Ruby tried to regain her breath and gazed down into the most brilliant, bright blue eyes she had even seen. She could hardly believe that they were here. Now. Nothing else in the world mattered now. Belle loved her and that was all she needed.

As the woman underneath her leaned up and pecked a small kiss on her nose, Ruby's smile began to fade as a sad thought came to mind. Now that Belle had her memory back, Gold was once again a crucial obstacle that was bound to crush all that just happened. Noticing the look on her companion's face, the librarian's eyebrows furrowed and she cupped her face.

"Rubes, what is it?"

A rush of fear suddenly engulfed her. What if Ruby regretted what they had just done?

"Is…this…am I what you want?" Ruby said in a hushed tone as she slid off the librarian and sat on her knees beside her.

"What? What are you talking about?"

Only one word was needed to get across what she meant.

"…Gold?"

Belle squeezed her eyes shut at his name and let out a sigh. She had been so caught up in the moment that Rumpel had never even flickered across her mind. Now that he had been mentioned she couldn't deny that he was still there inside of her heart. It now made sense as to why the man had been around her so much after the accident. He was trying to win back her heart. Shaking her head she looked back over to see that Ruby was gone, but after a second of panic she noticed that Ruby was still there, just collecting her clothes.

She watched on in silence as the waitress slid her jeans back on. Shirt still in hand, green eyes met blue and they just stared at one another. Neither was quite sure what was to be said. Belle didn't regret what just happened. Did Ruby? There was a twinkle of sadness in the wolf's eyes. Belle rose to her feet and walked over to her, bashful that her skin was bare, but disregarded it. Wrapping her arms around the darker brunette's neck, she settled her face against her shoulder and stood there as they held each other. The fabric of Ruby's clothes brushed against her skin before she pulled back slightly.

"I need to head back over to the diner."

She had snuck a glance at the time on her phone when she had stood to collect her clothes. Granny had called her several times and was surely pissed since her granddaughter was supposed to be back on shift an hour ago. Ruby didn't care though. The sure lecture she was bound to get was defiantly worth it even if this never happened again.

Moving away from the shorter woman, she picked up her phone with a sigh and walked towards the door in silence. Just as she pulled it open she heard the other woman shift feet.

"Ruby?" Belle called out bashfully as she held her dress against her body. Without waiting for the waitress to turn back around, she continued on, "Just give me a bit of time to sort things out, okay? I wasn't lying when I said that I love you; I truly do."

When the wolf-girl turned around she saw the reddened cheeks of the librarian and saw what she needed to see within those crystal blue eyes. Belle's words were true; she just needed some time.

"Okay," the waitress nodded and offered her a smile, "I'll catch you later then."


	10. Chapter 10

_**A/N Thank you guys for constantly leaving reviews. **_

Taking several deep breaths, Belle reached out for the door handle once again outside of the pawn shop. She had taken a long time to think things through after Ruby had left. It all seemed to come in a sudden rush, the memories that is, and she wasn't sure exactly which way to go. She couldn't deny what she felt towards Ruby especially since it was proven to be true in magical terms.

_ True love's kiss will break any spell._

She once loved Rumpel, and she believed that she still did, but it wasn't as it used to be. Who ever said you couldn't love more than once? There was nothing that stated you couldn't be in love with two people. However that was the thing. She still loved Rumpelstiltskin…she just wasn't _in_ love with him. She wanted him to be happy and find his son. She still wished to be friends with him. The hard part was telling this to him.

After another extravagant talk to herself about how she needed to get over her nerves, she entered the shop uneasily. She looked around the place searching for Gold, yet he wasn't anywhere to be found. A frown fell upon her face and she called out.

"Rumpel?"

After only a few short seconds the curtain to the back pulled open and out stepped the pawnbroker, a rag in his hand from probably cleaning. His eyes lit up when he saw who was calling upon him. It was silent between them for a moment as if he was processing something through his mind. Perhaps that she had just called him _Rumpel_ and not _Gold_. Maybe it was the way that Belle's gaze had changed to a very familiar look. It dawned on him suddenly that he wasn't looking at the post-accident Belle, but the woman he actually knew.

"…Belle?" he asked warily, coming around the counter and limping towards her on his cane. She gave him a nod along with a kind smile before wrapping her arms around the man tightly. "Is it really you?" he asked as he pulled back to look at her once again.

"It is, Rumpel."

"But how—" he cut himself off. There was only one way that Belle could have gotten her memories back and he hadn't been involved in it. His face dropped hard which didn't go unnoticed. "So it's true…" he whispered sadly, taking a step back.

Belle closed her eyes taking in a breath, gloom overcoming her like no other. She didn't want to do this to him but there was no other way. She reached out for his hand and urged him to look at her. Not ready to discuss what was coming just yet, Rumpel jumped to the next thing he could think of.

"Can I offer you some tea?"

"That would be lovely," she replied.

He pulled a teacup from the cupboard along with an electric kettle. Once adding in the water to allow it to boil, he brought up two barstools in which they both sat upon. Being in each other's presence seemed more awkward than it should have been. If you would have asked Belle about Gold before she thought of Ruby in the way she did, she would have kissed him on the lips, but now things were different. She didn't feel _that_ way towards him anymore. It was as if she was meeting an old friend she hadn't seen in years.

"When did it happen?" Gold asked.

"Just a few hours ago."

He didn't have to ask _how_ it happened. That he already knew. Even if he wanted to he wasn't quite sure he could handle it. Through all of the turmoil, Belle had always been there for him to help him become the better man, not the monster everyone saw him as. However, Belle had found someone else and he knew exactly who it was. He had always seen the way that wolf looked at her. If he had his way that tramp would have gotten nowhere near the woman he loved. His attempts to get Belle back had been in vain.

She could see it in his eyes. Belle knew that look on him; he may be good at hiding from everyone else, but not her. She had lived with him long enough as his servant to know when he felt sorrow.

Suddenly a loud whistling erupted from the silence causing Belle to almost jump off her seat. The pawnbroker rose then and disappeared behind the curtain. Coming back a few minutes later, the whistling having stopped, he offered her a steaming teacup that she accepted kindly. She sipped on it for a few moments, waiting to see if Rumpel had any moves to play, but she was wrong. The man was simply crushed. They didn't need words to relay such a message.

"Rumpel," his eyes darted up as he placed his cup on the counter, "I know this is all hard especially since it all happened so quickly. You going to find your son and then suddenly I lose my memories. I know you tried hard to bring me back and I apologize that I was a bit standoffish."

"It's understandable, dearie," he replied with a cool voice, but she could hear the emotions buried deep inside, "You didn't know who I was and it was a completely rational thing to do. I just wish I could have been the one to…" His worlds trailed off. _The one to save you. The one to prevent this all from ever happening. _

A warm hand lightly fell over his and almost as if it were the most natural thing in the world, he took it between both of his. The soft blue eyes closed once again, a cheerless sigh leaving her lips before she spoke once again.

"I do love you. I don't want you to ever forget that, but I love her too." He pulled his hands away and got to his feet finding something on the counter in which to avert his attention to."…Rumpel please."

It was all as if something finally snapped inside the man. He gripped the edge of the counter before yelling out.

"I tried too, Belle! I tried to get you back…" his attempt to hold everything was in vain, his voice cracking at the end of the sentence. Belle thought she saw a shiny droplet forming in his eye, but he turned away too quickly. "How can you love her?"

"What?" she was taken aback by the question and fiddled with the fabric of her dress, "she – I don't expect you to understand."

"Of course I won't understand!" he threw up his hands and faced her again, sarcasm and spite dripping off his tongue, "the _dark one_ knows _nothing_ about love. He could _never _learn to love! No Belle, I love you and now you come to me and tell me that you love _her_?"

She stared at the finger that was being pointed at her in complete astonishment and said ,"See? This is what I mean. I can't take these outbursts of yours." She shook her head and began to walk away in defeat that things had gone in such a way, but stopped dead in her tracks when she heard him mumble something under his breath.

"No Rumpel, she didn't do anything wrong," she strode up to him with new found strength, "She tried for me. She stayed true! All you've done is twist people's words and make them bend to your will. If you loved me then you would have come to find me back when I went missing, but no. You took in the words of that heartless queen. You thought that I would actually leave you there and go back to my father. How could you?" she had surprised herself with the sudden rush of words that left her mouth.

She knew that was in the past and so long ago, but it still hurt. Being locked up in a tower with no one to even bother looking for her, got old fast. "I know you're trying to change; I can see that, but I don't love you like I used to. Ruby has my heart and that's how it's going to stay. She's been there for me, always has, and I'm not going to be a coward and walk away from love."

* * *

Gathering the leftover dishes of the night, the brunette waitress walked over to the next table. She knew that she should stop worry so much about what happened at lunch time, but she couldn't help but rerun everything through her mind. After being yelled at for almost ten minutes by Granny that her tardiness was unacceptable, she still failed to pick up her pace to compensate for the lost hour. This gained her several more aggravating comments from her grandmother and customers.

She had even snapped at one customer in particular who complained about her taking so long to complete her order. This customer happened to be the mayor in which she didn't like in the first place. Consequentially she had told the former queen where to shove it, almost causing a fight in the diner.

She didn't _mean_ to cause such havoc, but she couldn't help it. Her mind was spinning uncontrollably about Belle coming back and telling her that what they had done was a mistake. It wouldn't have surprised her; she knew how much Belle loved Rumpelstiltskin, but she didn't want to face it. Like the coward she knew she was, she wanted to run far away under the moon and take residence with her solitude. In the wild. Where nothing could harm her. As the wolf she was invincible or that is at least how she felt.

Whatever was waiting for her she knew she would have to accept. She couldn't and _would not_ tell Belle how to live her life. If Belle wanted to be with Gold then that was her choice. Ruby had to love her enough to accept that.

Just as the waitress piled a few more plates onto her tray, the door to the diner chimed and she whipped her head around to see the librarian entering. There was a look upon her face that she couldn't quite pinpoint and it frightened her more than ever. Squeezing her eyes shut for a moment, she laid down the tray and went to speak, but before she could even get a word out, Belle was in front of her.

Soft hands grasped the darker brunette's face as warm lips suddenly crashed into hers with such intense passion that Ruby swore she was seeing stars. She felt her back hit the back of the counter and she couldn't help but laugh. Just within seconds her mind was spinning. Snaking her arms around the librarian, she pulled her close.

Off in the corner, Granny was just coming out of the kitchen wiping her hands off with a rag when she stopped dead in her tracks hearing a moan. Right before her eyes she saw Belle kissing her granddaughter with such intensity that she could only chuckle. _So _that_ is why you were late,_ she told herself. Shaking her head she turned away. She really didn't have a quarrel with them. On the contrary she didn't want something _else_ happening in her diner, so as she entered the kitchen once again she purposely clanged a few pots and pans together.

The two lovers jumped away as if a gun had been pulled. The wolf-girl gasped for breath and slowly her eyes met Belle's, her cheeks rosy. The librarian gave her a bashful smile and bit her lip.

"You…you chose me," Ruby said in disbelief.

"Of course I did. I won't let you be a lone wolf anymore."

Hearing Belle refer to that made her heart leap with joy. She leaned forward to kiss her, but stumbled back when she heard movement coming from the back. Thank god she had her wolf's senses all the time. Belle looked at her in confusion, but quickly understood when Granny came from around the counter.

"Nice to see you Belle," she said in a voice that sounded as if she knew nothing of what just happened.

"Hi, Granny," she said with a shy smile.

Granny's eyes went wide suddenly when she noticed there was something different about Belle. The way she held herself. The way Belle seemed to look at Ruby. She had seen the way the two had acted towards each other post-accident and before and it dawned on her that this wasn't the memory-less Belle anymore. She wasn't_ exactly _sure how she knew, but it she knew.

"She got her memory back?" she asked her granddaughter with a voice filled with light betrayal, "Why didn't you tell me, girl!"

The waitress laughed awkwardly and gave a glance towards Belle. Even Belle was confused that she didn't tell Granny the second she had gotten back to the diner.

"Well you were yelling at me too much!" Ruby argued, but let out a squeal as Granny snapped a towel at her. "Ow!"

"I don't care how much I was yelling at you. You deserved it, you fool." Ruby rolled her eyes and watched as Granny enveloped Belle in a huge hug that nearly squeezed all of the air out of her lungs. "It's good to have you back."

"I'm glad to be back. Thank you so much for allowing me to stay with you. I promise I'll be out and back in my apartment as soon as possible."

Granny laughed cheerfully and placed a hand on her shoulder, "Nonsense, take as long as you wish. I honestly don't think Ruby actually _wants_ you to leave," she looked over at her granddaughter who shifted awkwardly on her feet, "Besides, you're apart of the pack now. Don't you know that a wolf mates for life?"

Leaving the girls with a wink, she left them both there bewildered. Ruby's face flushed deep red knowing that Granny had indeed caught them. She should have known that the elder-wolf had known all this time.


	11. Chapter 11

_**A/N I'm bracing myself for the lecture I'm about to get for updating so slowly. (Tip for writers...DO NOT try and write several long stories at the same time). Something you should all know: I just got a job and therefore cannot promise I'll be updating swiftly which I know sucks terribly. I'll try to keep up as much as possible, but here comes the **__**question**__** I wish to ask you all. Would you rather have less frequently updated chapters with **__**longer**__** content, OR more frequent and just whatever I have time to write? (I'll try to keep it with at least 1k words)?**_

_**Please leave your answers in the reviews which I highly encourage. :) Btw...if you haven't feel more than welcome to add me on Tumblr. (Femphoenix). I may possibly have updates on when I'm working on chapters and what not. **_

"How long do you think she's known?" Belle asked as she peeked up from her book, sitting cross-legged on Ruby's bed with a plaid blanket wrapped around her knees. One would think that after that intense moment at the diner things would have been a bit differently once entering safe walls of the wolf's den, but out of all things Belle wanted to do it was to read.

The wolf-girl sat on the floor upon her rug, not because she didn't want to be near the librarian, but for the fact that animal habits were hard to break. She simply preferred the hard surface underneath her rather than the bed at the moment.

"Who? Granny? Probably long before I ever even realized."

She said it nonchalantly as if it wasn't a big deal, but a grin was plastered across her face. The book that was in the librarian's hand was placed gently down onto her lap and she smiled softly.

"When _did_ you realize?"

"That I…my feelings for you?"

"Mhm."

Pale skin reddened as she remembered the first moment she saw Belle walk into the diner.

"I fell for you the moment I saw you drinking that iced tea, but I didn't realize just how important you were to me until I thought I lost you forever."

Brown locks fell over her face as she averted her gaze to the floor beneath her. It was hard to think that the tragedy happened two months ago. The pain of losing Belle had stained her heart; she couldn't bear losing another one that she loved so dear.

"Hey," Belle whispered as she leaned down and reached for Ruby's hand; the distance between them made the scene rather awkward, but the wolf-girl took the extended hand. "If that didn't happen then I might not have ever realized just how important _you _were to _me._ I was so lost in hoping that Rumpel would change that it clouded everything else and I didn't see you right there before me. You were always there for me, even when I didn't know who I was, and not once did you give up. I should have noticed it earlier; I was so blinded that I didn't see that the wolf was there protecting me."

Ruby couldn't move. She was well aware of the tears rimming her eyes and knew that if she even dared to budge the dam would break. Her shy eyes slowly looked up to meet warm blue ones.

"It's my duty to protect you," she whispered which made the librarian's face turn as red as the blanket.

"Says who?" she teased.

"Says me."

And with that, and a wicked grin, the wolf-girl tugged on the other's arm and pulled her off of the bed, into her arms. It wasn't the most romantic attempt as they both now laid on top of one another in a jumbled mess, but neither could build up the urge to care.

Brown locks from the woman above her fell over Ruby's face as she leaned up, capturing delicate lips that tasted like bliss. It was soft and slow, taking their time. Unlike earlier, under the rush of surprise and joy, they needn't speed past such beautiful moments as such.

Strong arms wrapped around the librarian's waist pulling the growing warmth flush against her. That was all she needed to survive; Belle's warm touch, her warm body against her. She would never freeze in the coldest of nights so long as Belle was at her side.

Belle pulled back just an inch and blue eyes fell upon slowly opening green gems. Ruby already had a killer smile, but it became even more breathless with that stunning twinkle in her emerald eyes. Her thumb began tracing circles along the wolf's cheek that slowly made their way to curls lips. The waitress pressed a gentle kiss against her thumb before Belle spoke softly.

"You know you're beautiful, right?"

Pale flesh became red once more. She leaned up and kissed Belle hard in response. The librarian had no idea just how happy she was.

_I should have kissed you at the lake, _Ruby thought to herself, but inwardly shook her head. _No; that would have been too soon. They needed that time to realize what they meant to each other._

She would beg Granny to give her the day off tomorrow. The consequences of their coming actions deemed that to be the most appropriate decision, for Ruby refused to leave Belle's touch. That fear of losing her once more clung onto her soul like a blood-stained fabric; it was hard to wash out, but with time it would fade.

Behind her racing heart was a curious mind that had been curious about the conversation between Gold and Belle. The librarian didn't seem hurt, yet she knew that the man did not take well to people stealing his stuff.

_Not that she was yours anyways._ _She's mine. _However, she knew that if Belle ever decided to leave, if she ever thought that this was a mistake, she would let her go without quarrel no matter how much it would kill her heart.

"Ruby?"

"Hm?"

Without thought, slender fingers ran along skin clad thighs, pushing the material of the dress up ever so slightly each time which had the woman above blushing and giggling at the same time.

"Did you really mean we could sleep under the stars together?"

Suddenly Ruby's hands stopped as she was brought back to the moment where she found Belle sleeping in her room, having waited for the wolf all night long. That was the moment when they both realized that they couldn't live without one another, yet they were so afraid to ruin what they had.

"I did," Ruby finally replied.

"Can we do that soon?"

Bringing her hands to the librarian's face she placed a gentle kiss on her forehead and whispered.

"Of course we can." She left her lips on the warm skin, but quickly pulled away when she thought she heard Belle say something. "What?"

"When is the next full moon?"

Green eyes widened, but then her brows furrowed. Belle wanted Ruby to be in wolf form. A raging fear, so very familiar from a past that seems ages ago yet so much like yesterday, ran through her entire being.

"Belle, I …we can't."

"Why not?" the librarian's smile dropped as she realized what was wrong. "You don't trust yourself do you?"

Red shook her head only once.

"Do you remember what I told you before? You can't hurt me; I know you."

"But you don't know that…Ruby, look at me," green eyes had diverted to somewhere else in the room, but wearily slid back, "I know you're afraid and I'm not going to make you do something you don't want to do, but I know you. After everything we have been through I know just how strong you are."

She slid her hand onto Red's chest, above her heart.

"But, Belle—"

"—I trust the wolf with all of my heart."

She left it off with a gentle kiss, silencing any other argument that Ruby was sure to have. The woman underneath hummed in approval as lips moved in sync with one another, and a velvet tongue flicked against her bottom lip.

Open lips greeted the intruder as her own tongue met the other in a slow, deliberate battle. The wolf's hands found their way back to the other's thighs and began to slide the dress up and eventually over her head.

Belle was like an open book now. All of her walls had come crashing down as she offered herself to the wolf. She trusted her with all of her being; now it was time for Ruby to trust herself.


	12. Chapter 12

_**A/N I'm not even going to begin with an apology. I'm just going to say something quick and let you carry on. This chapter wasn't exactly meant to go the way it did, but oh well. That's what happens when I write as I go. I'll be honest and say that my attention span towards this story is slipping, but I promise I won't up and drop it out of nowhere. That's just wrong. I have a little idea for the next chapter, but where exactly I'm headed is unknown. Therefore, if you have any suggestions please leave them in a review or a message. All credit will go where it is due.**_

_**Thank you to all of you once again. You guys are awesome. **__**Leave a review**__**!**_

"You never told me how it went with Rumpel," Ruby asked as she ran her hand through chestnut locks, her legs entwined around the librarian's.

Blue eyes had been studying the reflection of the crescent moon that danced upon the water of the lake. The night had brought in a slight chill that accompanied the breeze, but with the warmth of the small fire and the embrace she was wrapped, she couldn't be happier. Lifting up on her elbow slightly, she turned her head to meet a curious emerald gaze.

The two women had been lying by the lake on a plaid blanket for hours cherishing the company of one another, watching the sun set through the foliage of the trees. They had talked about random things, their laughter filling the air when Belle told her of her attempt at a few adventures back in Fairytale Land. Soon enough lips found a home throwing their tales out the window for at least an hour if not more.

Belle's eyes had been glittering throughout the night, but at the mention of the pawn broker they closed and a frown took its place on her lips. Perhaps Ruby shouldn't have asked?

"He…" white teeth caught hold of her bottom lip in remembrance of the pained look the man wore, "he didn't take it very well, but he'll be okay."

The hand that had been running through her hair stopped. Maybe Ruby _really_ should have left it be. She should have realized that it would be a touchy subject.

"Are you sure about that?"

Blue eyes narrowed and she turned over to face the wolf fully.

"When did you starting caring about his wellbeing?"

"I don't," she shrugged before looking at Belle with a serious face, "I just know that he still has a place in your heart which means you still care about him."

There was no spite in her words. She was simply stating what she had come to accept and Belle was grateful for that. The librarian was well aware that they both held someone from their past close to their heart.

Belle leaned in towards Ruby and pressed a kiss to her lips. Before the waitress could return the action, she pulled away and placed a hand on her pale cheek. Pursing her lips, she looked into the brunette's green eyes.

"Promise me something?"

"What is it?"

"Promise me you won't hurt me like everyone else has."

Slender fingers slid down the librarian's arm until they met the hand that was against her cheek. Turning her head, she kissed her palm before locking her gaze back on Belle's.

"I can't promise you the stars or the world in my hands," green eyes pierced into blue with a serious, yet all-consuming look, "but I can promise you that I will try my hardest to keep you from harm. I don't want you getting hurt because of me and what I am" the librarian opened her lips to speak, but was silenced by a finger sliding over them, "I don't trust myself, Belle, but just give me time, alright? I know we have already been through so much and waiting is the last thing I want to do anymore, but you have to trust me on this."

Without even a nod, they shared a silent agreement. The only movement was when Belle leaned forward, pressing her forehead against the other.

"I've read so many books, but I never thought I would be apart of something so crazy." She chuckled, displaying her white teeth with a beautiful smile. "I'll wait until you are ready."

"I hope it will be worth the wait."

"You've always been worth the wait."

Sliding fingers through dark hair, Belle connected their lips which had the wolf humming in approval. The waitress's arms wrapped around a slender waist and pulled them closer together. Belle couldn't have asked for a more perfect night under the stars.

Their lips moved in harmony with one another as Red's hand slid down the other's dress, slipping up to press her hand against her flat stomach. Belle shivered as the night air hit her skin, but was quickly replaced by warmth when a denim clad knee slid between her legs. Almost on pure impulse her hips pressed into it and Ruby took the hint.

Her knee began to roll against her maddeningly as she moved her lips to Belle's jaw line, licking the soft skin as she descended down the pulsing neck. Her nostrils flared as she breathed in the intoxicating scent of old books and lavender. She could live with this for the rest of her life. The smell made her head spin and her heart accelerate faster than a bullet as her sharp teeth grazed along pale skin. Belle's breathing hitched and she grabbed the wolf's hand, pulling it towards her aching center.

Belle was a whole other person around Ruby. Even though the wolf had issues trusting herself, she didn't think for a second that she would ever inflict harm upon her. Knowing this, she was able to let her walls come tumbling down. There was no hiding like she had done all of her life. There was no one there to command her how to live day by day; she simply was herself.

Ruby shifted her weight until she lay flush against the other woman underneath her, her knee moving as it was replaced by her hand. A gasp fell from the librarian's lips when a velvet tongue ran up her neck until it reached her earlobe. Taking it into her mouth, Belle tried to bite back her moan but failed. It was music to the wolf's ears, exhilarating the beast within her and before she could stop herself she had her teeth biting down onto warm flesh.

A cry shot out from the other woman's lips. Her hand dove into brown locks and tugged, yet whether it was just on instinct or to make the wolf stop wasn't known. Ruby's hand below made its way past the piece of thin fabric that covered the other's heat, slipping into wet folds with little warning. The sudden intrusion along with the ever growing pressure on her neck lit a wicked fire inside of Belle. She had never felt this mixture of pain and pleasure before. She was sure that if Ruby didn't stop, blood was sure to be spilled, yet she couldn't bring herself to stop it.

Fingers worked deftly between her legs in a way that was unlike their first time. It didn't hurt; no that wasn't a problem. Actually there was no problem whatsoever in the sudden actions Ruby was partaking in. It was nearly the shock of how intense the moment became that had Belle gasping. Times before this had been slow, explorative, and this time? It was pure…animalistic?

It should have scared Belle. She should have pushed the brunette above her away. However, she found herself drowning in the strange sensations that were encasing her.

The nails of her free hand dug into the grass as her other hand twisted and pulled at the strands of hair between her grasp. Still, the wolf remained unfazed, her fingers continuing an exhilarating pace.

Feeling the walls around her fingers clench, Red hooked her fingers and pressed upward. Belle's breath hitched once more and an intense heat shot through her entire body. Her hips thrust upwards and her body shook until there was no energy left within her. Panting, Belle squeezed her eyes shut, for she swore she was seeing stars. That was unlike anything she had ever experienced before.

She felt the weight of the other woman leaving her, sitting up on her hips, and when she opened her eyes green gems were wide with horror. The sudden look frightened the librarian and it wasn't until she noticed the smudge of crimson on the waitress's lips that she understood.

Reaching a shaky hand to her neck, her mouth fell open when she felt warm liquid. When she drew back her hand, she confirmed what she thought. Ruby had broken the skin.

"Shit…shit…shit," Ruby repeated over and over again under her breath. Her eyes were darting back and forth between Belle and the wound, beginning to swell up with tears. Before the other could say a word, she pushed herself off of her and turned shamefully away, pulling her knees up to her chest, and shaking her head. "Fuck, Belle. I- I didn't mean to do that!"

There was one promise that she had made to Belle and that was to protect her from any harm.

_"I don't want you getting hurt because of me and what I am"_

So what did she do? She allowed the wolf inside to consume her and turn her into the savage beast that she tried to run from. She hurt Belle and it was all of her fault.

_Stupid, stupid, stupid! _

Tears were now endlessly flowing down her cheeks and she didn't even attempt to stop them. How could she have let herself go like that?

There was a soft touch to her shoulder, but she resisted the urge to turn around. All she wanted to do was pick up her feet and run, but that wasn't an option. She needed to face what she had done, yet she couldn't bring herself to do so. If she dared look into those blue eyes, she feared that she would be staring into a pit of ice.

Pulling her dress back down a bit self-consciously, Belle took a leap of faith and wrapped her arms around Ruby's waist from behind. Disregarding the wound that is burning from the exposure to the air, she rests her chin on the waitress's shoulder and whispers into her ear.

"It's okay."

Jumping at the voice, which should have been a scold yet was nothing but soothing, she remained frozen in place but managed to choke out an "I'm sorry" between sobs.

This only enticed Belle to hold the wolf closer against her telling her over and over again that it's alright and she wasn't hurt. And it's not a lie. Yes, her neck may have been throbbing, but there was a difference between sexual pain and nonconsensual. She wished she could tell the woman this, yet found herself blushing at the thoughts of it herself.

"Please stop blaming yourself, Rubes," she whispered while running a hand through her hair. It's a small gesture but seemed to calm the waitress down a bit.

"…But I-I hurt you."

"No, no you didn't. Ruby look at me," she reached outward and gently turned Ruby's face, wiping the tears away with her thumb, "Sweetheart, I'm fine. Nothing but a flesh wound."

That suddenly caused the wolf girl to chuckle softly. _Say _that_ after a real bite._ Turning around so she faces the librarian more, she cupped her cheek and looked her directly in the eyes, nothing but unrelenting love swimming in blue.

"Are you sure?" Belle nodded before leaning in to kiss her tenderly. It's quick, but enough to reassure her that everything is perfectly fine. "I should probably clean that up," she said, but then her face contorted, "I don't have any disinfectant…"

She sat there quietly for a moment pondering what to do. The best thing would be to pack up and head back home, but something told her that Belle would object to no end at the suggestion. Instead she does something that has the other jumping in surprise.

Leaning forward, she flicked her tongue across the wound soothingly, hearing Belle gasp. There is a strange, fascinating flavor in the woman's blood, a mixture of salty and sweet, and it makes her job of clean-up far easier than she would have expected. When she pulled back, she wore she heard a sigh of disappointment, and she shyly looked up to see Belle opening up her eyes.

"We just…uh…" Ruby's face was flushed, "we need to make sure it doesn't get infected."

"Okay," Belle whispered and in that moment there was an odd spark unlike no other.

What terrified Red more than ever was actually bringing them closer each second. It was strange to think about, but did it really matter? There was still that lingering humiliation in the pit of the waitress's stomach, but there wasn't anything more she could do about it. Besides, looking at the face Belle wore, she was slowly realizing that maybe she didn't mind after all.

After making sure her wound was really okay, Ruby added a few more pieces of wood to the fire and the two curled up together, pulling a blanket over them. There were a few kisses here or there, but eventually Belle curled up into the crook of Ruby's neck. Her breathing evened out and when Red came to conclusion that she had fallen asleep, she planted a small kiss to the top of her head before glancing up to the moon.


End file.
